CPT International 02/2016

www.giesserei-verlag.de 

June 

2016 

CASTING 

PLANT AND TECHNOLOGY 

INTERNATIONAL 

2 

Good molding sand – 

good castings!

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success. Bühler offers services so you can maintain your competitive edge. 

Whether you need spare parts, machine inspections, or a customized service 

package, Bühler has the right solution for you. 

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T +41 71 955 12 12, F +41 71 955 25 88 

die-casting@buhlergroup.com, www.buhlergroup.com/die-casting 

Innovations for a better world.

EDITORIAL K 

Germany’s foundry sector 

– a family-oriented branch 

of industry! 

Albert Handtmann’s foundry in Biberach in southern Germany is the country’s 

largest family-owned light-metal foundry. In addition to Biberach, Handtmann 

Holding operates other foundries in Annaberg in Saxony, Košice in 

Slovakia, and Tianjin in China. This family-run global player – characterized 

by hard work, productivity, innovations, and, as in this case, expansions – is 

our figurehead for the German foundry industry in this issue. The company is 

embodied by the 88- year-old Albert Handtmann, who took over management 

in 1945 but has now passed it on to his son. Read our company portrait 

from P. 36. 

Innovations in material development and plant technology make up a large 

proportion of our summer issue. For material development we turn our attention 

to trimal-37, an alloy of aluminum, silicon and manganese, from which 

cast nodes that are weight-optimized but nevertheless extremely stable are 

produced for vehicle bodies. We present other interesting examples of applications 

for the material in our article from P. 8. 

Our author Herbert Smetan describes a sophisticated casting system: dynamic 

tilt casting on low-pressure casting machines. It is used for casting highly 

stressed cylinder heads. The casting system enables turbulence-free mold filling 

with absolutely clean and oxide-free metal. Read more from P. 23. 

The appearance of CASTING in late June 2016 signals the opening of the international 

Automatica trade fair in Munich (21 - 24 June). In addition to Industry 

4.0 (the trendy topic of our time), involving the intermeshing of industrial 

production with state-of-the-art information and communication 

technology, the fair will also focus on robotics and other industrial automation 

solutions. European foundries do not lag behind here: KUKA robots clean casting 

molds at the BMW light-metal foundry in Landshut. They are ‘taught’ their 

tasks by foundry employees (from P. 34). Magma 5 simulation software permits 

the stable casting of oversized frame components at the Swiss foundry DGS 

Druckguss (from P. 28). 

Have a good read! 

Robert Piterek, e-mail: robert.piterek@bdguss.de 

Casting Plant & Technology 2/2016 3

K FEATURES 

INTERVIEW 

with Till Schreiter 

“Demand is shifting towards high-performance applications” 6 

MATERIALS 

Kleine, Andreas; Böhmer, Franz-Heinrich; Hoffmann, Ellen; Koch, Hubert 

Alloy trimal-37 in modern car body applications 8 

Vollrath, Klaus 

Mercedes C-Class: the great stride to aluminium casting 12 

MELTING SHOP 

Trauzeddel, Dietmar 

Pouring furnaces and pouring devices – state of the art and development 

targets 16 

CASTING TECHNOLOGY 

Smetan, Herbert 

Dynamic tilt casting with low-pressure die casting machines 23 

Cover-Photo: 

Maschinenfabrik Gustav Eirich GmbH & Co KG 

Walldürner Str. 50 

74736 Hardheim 

Tel: + 49 6283 510 

Fax: + 49 6283 51 325 

eirich@eirich.de 

www.eirich.com 

CLEANING, FETTLING & FINISHING 

Malashonak, Vadim 

Increasing blasting efficiency through innovative blasting media 26 

SIMULATION 

Schmidt, Axel 

DGS produces one of the largest die cast parts worldwide 28 

Read our News on Eirich on page 41 

16 28 

Casting furnaces and devices for cast iron are an integral 

part of the molding lines. Since its development inductive ly 

heated furnaces with compressed air emptying found a firm 

place in foundries (Photo: Dietmar Trauzeddel) 

DGS Druckguss produces frames for hot water solar panels. 

The production was changed from welded extrusion molded 

parts to aluminium die castings. The castings are amongst 

the largest die cast parts worldwide (Photo: DGS Druckguss)

CASTING 

2 | 2016 

PLANT AND TECHNOLOGY 

INTERNATIONAL 

Nowaczyk, Christof 

Core shooting simulation – to the economic and environmental advantage of the 

foundry 30 

AUTOMATION 

Schwarzbach, Laura 

Well guided 34 

COMPANY 

Hardke, Karin 

The Handtmann Group – a family company with a future 36 

K COLUMNS 

Editorial 3 

News in brief 40 

Brochures 44 

Fairs and congresses / Advertisers´ index 46 

Preview of the next issue/Imprint 47 

36 

Albert Handtmann Metallgusswerk in Biberach is Germany’s largest family-owned light-metal foundry. Arthur Handtmann took over his 

parent’s small foundry in 1945, in the following decades the company developed into an efficient, innovative and value-oriented global player 

with production sites in China, Slowakia and Germany. Today the 88-year old entrepreneur has no time for retirement – there is too much to 

be done (Photo: Klaus Bolz)

K INTERVIEW 

“Demand is shifting towards 

high-performance applications” 

Interview with Till Schreiter, Managing Director of the ABP Induction Systems GmbH in 

Dortmund, Germany, since April 2015 

Till Schreiter is the new Managing Director of ABP Induction Systems. The company considers itself a supplier of sustainable 

induction systems with short payback times and many customer advantages (Photos: ABP) 

ABP Induction Systems in Dortmund 

has celebrated its 10-year jubilee last 

November. As the new Managing Director, 

how do you see the history of 

your still-young company? 

ABP emerged from the process automation 

division of Asea Brown Boveri 

(ABB), which already had a more than 

one-hundred-year tradition of constructing 

induction plants. With this 

historical record behind us, we have 

written our own short history and 

made ABP into a company with its 

own distinctive profile. We are now 

one of the leading suppliers for inductive 

melting and heating. And our customers 

from the foundry, forging and 

steel industries are often world market 

leaders themselves. As a result of use 

in the automotive supply industry, in 

particular, ABP furnaces have been involved 

in the production of millions 

of parts with high value creation. The 

Dortmund site is also growing – and is 

a dependable employer and taxpayer. 

ABP’s business is going well. You currently 

sell numerous melting furnaces 

worldwide, including in China and 

India. Which furnaces are particularly 

popular and why? 

Most of our business is with furnaces 

with a capacity of 2 - 35 t. Whereby 

we are increasingly observing that 

demand is shifting towards high-performance 

applications. So, for example, 

we commissioned a 30-t furnace 

with an induction power of 24 MW at 

a major customer of ours, and we actually 

followed this up with a furnace 

with a melting capacity of 65 t and induction 

power of 42 MW. These fur- 

6 Casting Plant & Technology 2/2016

naces are particularly popular because 

production and batch quantities, particularly 

for the automotive industry, 

are constantly growing. In the field of 

forming technology, we were able to 

convince the largest Chinese automotive 

supplier of the quality of a heating 

plant with intelligent heat recovery – 

installation has taken place in spring 

2016. 

Induction furnace production at ABP in Dortmund 

In April 2015 you replaced Dr. Wolfgang 

Andree, who had been Managing 

Director for many years. What is 

your strategy for the future? 

ABP considers itself a supplier of sustainable 

induction systems with short 

payback times and many customer 

advantages. We believe that the quality 

of our employees is an important 

feature that differentiates us from the 

competition. As a result of continuous 

growth in recent years, we have been 

able to build up special problem-solving 

competence with a mix of experienced 

and young personnel. Perhaps 

this is why we are able to test new technologies 

or adapt to our customers’ requirements 

particularly rapidly. A sustainable 

product management system 

means, for example, that we have a 

dense network of local service workshops 

for the important after-market 

business. And we want to be even more 

flexible in future regarding production 

conditions. 

www.abpinduction.com 

CastTec 2016 

The world of cast iron materials – Diversity for the future“ 

3rd International Conference · Maritim Konferenzhotel Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany 

November 24 – 25, 2016 

Information and Registration on www.casttec2016.com or at atm Gesellschaft für aktives technisches Marketing GmbH, 

phone: +49/ 40/ 228 13 77 90, E-Mail: contact@casttec2016.com 

CastTec 2016 – The overall industry gathering 

In power generation, engineering or transportation – cast iron components are omnipresent! 

Near-net-shape, energy-efficient and economical by the use of innovative solutions in design and material. 

As the third in it’s series CastTec 2016 cordially invites users, design engineers and foundry experts 

to the industry gathering around the topic cast iron! 

Exciting lectures, a modern exhibition, the optional visitation at the Fraunhofer Institute for 

Structural Durability and System Reliability LBF as well as an attractive evening event will 

give an extensive overview of recent developments and trends from science and industry and 

will offer you an intensive exchange with colleagues in the field. 

Experience the wide world of cast iron materials and its applications! 

Information and registration on 

www.casttec2016.com

K MATERIALS 

Machining of a die casting at the Trimet die casting foundry in Harzgerode (Photos and Graphics: Trimet) 

Authors: Andreas Kleine, Franz-Heinrich Böhmer, Ellen Hoffmann, Trimet Aluminium SE, Harzgerode, and Hubert 

Koch, Trimet Aluminium SE, Essen 

Alloy trimal-37 in modern car body 

applications 

Pressure die cast hubs made of the aluminium alloy trimal-37 are used in car body construction 

to achieve a weight-optimized self-supporting framework structure 

Introduction 

In the past, various trends, such as 

growing safety requirements, higher 

powered engines and the demand for 

increased comfort, have led to a constant 

increase in vehicle weight. In 

order to be able to meet future CO 2 

emission targets, it is indispensible to 

markedly reduce the weight of cars. 

In this context, car body construction 

plays a key role, last but not least 

due to the growing share of the lightweight 

construction material aluminium. 

This article focuses on what is generally 

referred to as cast hubs, namely 

multifunctional pressure die castings 

of complex geometries, which in 

combination with extruded profiles 

and metal panels make a car body a 

self-supporting structure. 

The alloy trimal-37 

The trimal-37 alloy (AlSi9Mn) has outstanding 

casting properties. Its iron 

content of < 0.15 % inhibits the formation 

of coarse intermetallic phases. 

This makes trimal-37 highly ductile 

even in the as-cast state. The ductility 

is further enhanced by modifying the 

alloy with strontium, which results in 

a fine eutectic silicon phase. Ductility 


Alloy State R p0.2 

in MPa R m 

in MPa A in % Hardness inHB 

F 120 - 140 250 - 290 8 - 15 80 - 90 

trimal-37 

O 100 - 120 200 - 240 10 - 18 65 - 75 

Table 1: Static mechanical properties of the alloy trimal-37. F = as-cast; O = soft-annealed 

can be increased even further by a TO 

heat treatment. The manganese content 

in the alloy prevents adhesion to 

the mold. This ensures that especially 

highly complex structural castings 

with extensive surface areas can be 

easily removed from the mold. The elements 

zircon and vanadium provide 

the necessary strength at room temperature 

and ensure that the requirements 

in terms of short-time as well 

as long-time thermal stability are securely 

met. The mechanical properties 

of trimal-37 are summarized in 

Table 1 [1]. 

Examples of application of 

trimal-37 

Hinge mounting element for the 

AUDI Q7 

The hinge mounting element is a corner 

element in the rear end roof structure 

of the AUDI Q7. Actually, it forms 

the vertex of three coordinates: the 

longitudinal roof beam, the transverse 

roof beam and the side beam. It 

has been designed to also accommodate 

the hinge of the rear hatch. 

The die cast hinge mounting element 

(Figure 1) features excellent stiffness 

due to the design of the ribbed 

structure tailored to the load acting on 

the part and the high yield strength of 

trimal-37. As the casting is used in its 

as-cast state, the part is also free from 

distortions, ensuring that the exacting 

geometric tolerance specifications are 

met. The innovative multi-material design 

of the AUDI Q7 calls for the use of 

self-pierce riveting systems to join materials 

as diverse as steel and aluminium 

panels and extruded aluminium 

profiles with the casting. 

As shown in Figure 2, the riveting 

joint is set by positioning the top material 

layer (aluminium sheet) and the 

bottom layer (trimal-37, wall thickness 

approx. 2.5 mm) between the 

downholder and a die. A stamp inside 

the downholder then presses the 

a 

Figure 1: a) Front and b) back view of the die casting: Hinge mounting unit 

for the Audi Q7 (CAD image); dimensions: 630 x 530 x 70 mm; weight: 3.4 kg 

Figure 2: Process steps of self-pierce riveting (courtesy: Böllhoff) [3] 

Figure 3: Cross-section of joint made with a self-pierce rivet 

b 


K MATERIALS 

a 

Figure 4: a) Front and b) back view of the die cast heel board for the AUDI 

A8 (CAD image); dimensions: 440 x 210 x 240 mm; weight: 2.1 kg 

a 

Figure 5: Micrograph of a welded joint: a) microsection, b) image analysis; 

porosity: 3.6% 

b 

b 

self-piercing semi-tubular rivet into 

the double-layer material. The rivet 

penetrates through the aluminium 

sheet and is spread in the lower material 

made of trimal-37 under the influence 

of the die [2, 3]. Due to the high 

ductility and excellent forming properties 

of trimal-37, there is no risk of 

cracks forming in the lower material 

due to the spreading of the rivet. As 

the lower material made of trimal-37 is 

not pierced, the resulting joint is localized 

and impervious to gas and liquid. 

This form-closed joint is very strong. 

Figure 3 illustrates the suitability of trimal-37 

to be joined with another material 

by self-pierce riveting. 

Heel board for the AUDI A8 

The heel board (Figure 4) is a key component 

in the rear floor structure of the 

AUDI A8. It connects, for example, the 

transmission hump with the floor panels. 

Besides mechanical joining by selfpierce 

rivets or flow-drill screws, thermal 

joining by MIG welding (metal 

inert-gas welding) plays an important 

role in this application. In combination 

with a process-compatible 

mold design, optimized coating of the 

mold with release agents developed for 

Figure 6: Cross member of the battery pan in the Porsche 991 II (CAD image); dimensions: 830 x 130 x 70 mm; weight: 

1.2 kg 


this particular application and a vacuum-supported 

casting process, trimal-37 

provides superior weldability. 

Figure 5 shows an example of a MIG 

welded joint between a die casting 

made of trimal-37 and an aluminium 

panel using AlSi12 wire as filler metal. 

The welded joint was made as part of 

an accompanying test of a series production 

run. As the image analysis 

shows, the welded joint features 3.6 % 

porosity. Thus it easily achieves the 

specified maximum porosity of 10 %. 

Cross member for battery pan 

in the Porsche 991 II 

The cross member shown in Figure 6 

has the function to securely fix the battery 

within the engine compartment 

of the car body. For this purpose, the 

ends of the cross member are screwed 

to mounting brackets. 

The cross member must feature a 

specified flexural rigidity under defined 

conditions of use. This is ensured 

by the specific cross member design allowing 

the part to cope with the typical 

stresses of the application and by the 

good strength properties of trimal-37. 

Summary 

The described examples of application 

demonstrate the versatility of trimal-37 

in modern car body construction. The 

material’s suitability for self-pierce riveting 

as well as its good weldability and 

formability are basic conditions for the 

application of all joining methods relevant 

in this area. 

By maintaining material development 

and testing activities at different 

locations and by interdisciplinary 

collaboration and the use of most advanced 

development and testing techniques, 

Trimet is capable of providing 

– in a timely manner – practice-oriented 

solutions as the basis for innovative 

product development. 

Trimet covers all essential phases of 

component development, from the 

conceptual phase via the design phase 

using all relevant CAD systems, including 

numerical simulations of the 

pouring and solidification processes, 

through to prototype casting and investigations 

concerning the behaviour 

of a component. Trimet’s in-house tool 

making facilities and the other process 

steps performed in-house, including 

heat treatment, machining, surface 

treatment, completion and assembly 

form the basis for a rapid implementation 

of the product idea into a product 

ready for installation. 

References: 

www.trimet.com 

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Efficiency In Thermal Processing 

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K MATERIALS 

Author: Klaus Vollrath, Aarwangen, Switzerland 

Mercedes C-Class: the great stride 

to aluminum casting 

Hybrid bodies with mass-produced aluminum structural castings 

Mercedes Benz; C-Class T-Model (Photo: Daimler AG) 

The body of the new C-Class is the first 

for Mercedes, which has completed the 

step from the former steel structure to 

a composite construction (Figure 1) 

for large-scale serial production. The 

combination of high-strength steels 

and aluminum makes it possible to design 

the car considerably lighter, while 

improving comfort, driving characteristics 

and passenger protection. Such a 

conversion of production technology 

is a truly Herculean task with numerous 

risks when undertaken on a large 

scale – four sites manufacturing up to 

2,000 vehicles every day. The challenges 

for the specialists – charged with the 

task of making the appropriate technology 

so controllable that a smooth 

worldwide supply of the necessary 

parts could be guaranteed – were correspondingly 

large. 

“As a result of the transition to an 

innovative aluminum hybrid design 

Daimler, in Stuttgart, Germany, has 

been able to save about 70 kg in the 

body-in-white of the new C-Class,” 

says Axel Schmidt (Figure 2), Manager 

of Technology, Development and 

Project Management at DGS Druckguss 

Systeme in St. Gallen, Switzerland. This 

represents a weight saving of about 20- 

25 % of the total weight of the bodyin-white, 

depending on the vehicle 

variant – an important contribution towards 

reducing fuel consumption and 

the emission of CO 2 

. The fuel consumption 

of the Bluetec C180 and C200 basis 

versions is only 3.8 l diesel/100 km with 

emissions of 99 g CO 2 

/100 km. In order 

to achieve this success, the engineers 

had to completely redesign the bodyin-white 

while extensively exploiting 

aluminum castings, hot-formed steel 

components, and ultra-high-strength 

steels. Moreover, all the body parts visible 

externally are also made of aluminum. 

Ultimately, vehicle weight has 

been reduced by about 100 kg. 


The advantages of extensive 

aluminum structural castings 

“The new body contains a total of 

seven large-scale aluminum castings,” 

adds Axel Schmidt. These seven components 

together only weigh 19.2 kg. 

Castings were used because these parts 

had to have a very complex geometry 

with numerous reinforcements and 

wall thickness transitions. The suspension 

strut consoles of the predecessor 

model consisted of five steel parts, 

while a total of 13 parts were required 

for the rear-axle cross-members. The 

advantage of using aluminum castings 

in these areas lies not only in the considerably 

lower specific weight compared 

to steel, but above all in the significantly 

greater degree of freedom for 

the designers, who can create even very 

complicated geometries with load-oriented 

wall thickness transitions and 

deep rib structures or projections – 

without having to worry about restrictions 

or additional joining processes. 

The advantages are considerable, not 

only regarding weight, the number 

of individual parts, and the necessary 

joining operations, but also in view of 

reduced quality-assurance costs. 

The transition to worldwide 

mass production 

“For us, the actual challenge in this 

project lay in jointly developing (together 

with Daimler and another 

partner) the process technology for 

large-series production on a worldwide 

scale,” explains Axel Schmidt. 

Daimler had systematically prepared itself 

for this conversion for many years 

(Figure 3). The initial steps were the 

fully aluminum bodies for the sports 

car models SLS AMG and SL in smallscale 

production. These were followed 

in 2013 by the introduction of hybrid 

bodies made of aluminum and steel in 

the S-Class, with daily volumes of up 

to 550 units – already corresponding 

to mid-scale serial production. The introduction 

of the new C-Class in 2014 

marked the final step towards largescale 

production of up to 2,000 units a 

day. Which made it mandatory to ensure 

that identical standards – regarding 

the design, the process technology 

in the vehicle production plant, the 

Figure 1: Aluminum structural castings in the body-in-white of the new C-Class: 

suspension strut consoles (1+2), rear side members (3+4), mountings for shock 

absorbers (5+6), and rear axle cross-member (7) (Graphics: Daimler AG) 

package of connecting parts, quality 

definitions, and the so-called MB standard 

– were maintained worldwide at 

all four production sites (Germany, 

the USA, South Africa and China) and 

by all six suppliers. The casting suppliers 

had to observe worldwide uniform 

specifications for tools, alloys, castings 

and heat-treatment parameters, 

as well as for inspection and straightening 

equipment. 

Top-quality technology development 

“The invitation to join this development 

team was the result of hard work, 

which earned us a reputation as a technology 

pioneer in the area of producing 

large structural castings made of 

aluminum and magnesium,” according 

to Axel Schmidt. The company 

had built up comprehensive mutual 

trust in development partnerships 

over many years. The team’s task was 

to create all the prerequisites for the 

timely start of production of the new 

C-Class with four start-of-production 

deadlines on four continents – within 

just seven months. This involved 

developing and optimizing the cost 

structures, production chains, and 

qualification concepts. It was necessary 

to define joint standards for processes, 

tools, specifications and quality 

Figure 2: “The absolute key to success 

ultimately remains the expertise to 

precisely master one’s own processes 

– and the subsequent optimization of 

the costs situation,” stresses Axel Schmidt 

(Photo: Johannes Müller) 

inspections in order to ensure comparable 

production processes and results. 

This meant going into details such as 

the extent of punching and machining 

processes, the positioning and clamping 

points for the mechanical processing, 

or the removal points for material 

samples. Further aspects involved the 

frames and the parameters for heat 


K MATERIALS 

treatment, the straightening concept 

(including a binding design for the 

alignment gauges), or a uniform packaging 

and dispatch concept. 

Other aspects were also required to 

ensure a smooth worldwide supply of 

all the production sites with the necessary 

structural castings. For example, 

it was indispensable to work out strategies 

and procedures for the qualification 

of new suppliers and sites that had 

no experience of such structural castings. 

The design and implementation 

of serial production in China presented 

perhaps the greatest challenge in 

this project due to differences in the 

level of mastery of the technologies 

and in local mentality, the time shift 

and, last but not least, the language 

problem. “We at DGS are particularly 

proud of being the first European 

die-caster to have accepted and successfully 

mastered this enormous challenge,” 

says a satisfied Axel Schmidt. 

Casting the rear side members 

“We produce four of the seven structural 

castings for the body: the two 

rear side members (Figure 4) and the 

two front suspension strut consoles,” 

says Axel Schmidt. At its St. Gallen 

works, DGS came up with a particularly 

innovative casting concept for 

the side members with dimensions 

of 480 x 315 x 290 mm, a component 

weight of 1.4 kg, and wall thicknesses 

of 2.0 - 3.0 mm. For the first time, 

such large structural castings were 

produced in a four-cavity mold on a 

Carat 320 die casting machine from 

Bühler, which is the largest installed 

casting cell in Switzerland, with a closing 

force of 3,200 t. After casting, the 

parts are cooled in water and individualized 

by stamping. Then they are immediately 

placed on the specially designed 

component holding fixtures 

of the heat-treatment racks in preparation 

for a two-step heat treatment. 

This gives the castings the specified 

mechanical characteristics: tensile 

strength R m 

≥180 MPa, yield strength 

R p 0.2 

≥ 120 MPa and elongation at break 

A5 ≥ 10 %. An additional criterion is a 

bending angle of at least 60 % to fracture 

determined on a flat sample. This 

criterion proves the suitability of the 

material for joining by means of punch 

riveting. 

Particularly high demands had to be 

met regarding the absence of defects in 

the castings. Casting takes place under 

high vacuum to ensure perfect microstructures. 

The melt is carefully refined 

before casting and flushed with inert 

gas in order to prevent gas and solid inclusions 

in the castings. Strict specifications 

apply for the selection and applications 

rules for mold release agents 

and plunger lubricants. Special requirements 

also apply for the microstructural 

and surface quality of the parts, particularly 

regarding the subsequent joining 

processes during body assembly. 

Production of the parts for installation 

in Germany and South Africa – up 

to 370,000 units a year – takes place at 

the DGS parent plant in St. Gallen in 

Switzerland, while the Chinese DGS 

subsidiary in Nansha produces up to 

130,000 units per year for China. The 

Mexican supplier Bocar – which entered 

into a close collaboration with 

DGS during the course of this project – 

is responsible for supplying the Daimler 

works in the USA. 

Manual straightening 

“One of the secrets of our success is the 

limitation of tension-related warping 

to a level that can be corrected by relatively 

simple adjustments,” reveals 

Schmidt. In practice, warpage is virtually 

unavoidable with such large 

and thin-walled components. This is 

mainly due to internal stresses resulting 

from the casting and stamping 

processes and further exacerbated by 

heat treatment. The trick is to master 

the process so skilfully as to minimize 

these deformations – this sorts the 

good casters from the rest. As the part 

Figure 3: The step-up to mass production requires the clarification and mastering of the most varied of details. This is 

why it has been systematically prepared via several models over many years (Graphics: Dr. Pfitzer, Daimler AG) 


Figure 4: The rear side members 

made of the alloy AlSi10MnMgSr 

have dimensions of 480 x 315 x 

290 mm and only weigh about 

1.4 kg each as a result of their low 

wall thicknesses of just 2 - 3 mm 

(Photo: Klaus Vollrath) 

shape for ensuring tight gap dimensions 

– also in order to limit the joining 

gap for adhesive seams – may only 

deviate by a maximum of ± 0.5 mm 

from the CAD dimensions, every casting 

must be inspected and, if necessary, 

straightened. 

DGS decided to make straightening 

a manual process in order to be 

able to profit from further process improvements, 

i.e. minimizing of deformations. 

An automated straightening 

process would require enormous investments 

and only be used for one specific 

component. Once installed, implementation 

of a subsequent optimization of 

straightening would no longer provide 

any major economic benefit. 

In the manual straightening process 

the part is examined on an electronic 

measurement system before 

the diverging locations are manually 

straightened by experienced specialists. 

Experience and a feeling for the 

parts are the most important prerequisites 

for a rapid and reliable straightening 

process. The straightening process 

is only completed when the measurement 

system provides an ‘in order’ result 

for all the specified positions. 

Fully automated further processing 

“The further processing steps take 

place with the help of robotized automated 

systems,” explains Schmidt. 

Grinding, which serves to prepare the 

parts for the subsequent joining processes 

in body construction, is particularly 

important. Grinding takes place 

in a fully encapsulated cell, in which 

several robots process the parts on different 

conveyor belts with a variety 

of grinding disks and brushes. The final 

station is a combined processing/ 

assembly plant, in which the receiving 

threads for screwing onto the back 

axle are added and reinforced with a 

mounted stainless steel Helicoil. The 

thread is formed on a Milltap 700 CNC 

processing center from DMG with a 

special tool, and then the thread insert 

is fully automatically mounted in 

a specially developed assembly system. 

What distinguishes this station is its 

complete monitoring of the mounting 

process regarding the screw-in torque 

value, the position of the mounted Helicoils 

and, last but not least, removal 

of the Helicoil tang. 

Mastering the production 

process as the key to cost optimization 

“One of the decisive prerequisites for 

our success is the ability to reliably 

keep production processes under control 

within the tightest possible limits,” 

explains Axel Schmidt. The narrower 

the achievable property range can be 

kept, the closer one can approach the 

limit values demanded by customers 

regarding part properties. Many quality-determining 

process steps, such as 

heat treatment, are cost-intensive. It 

is, in effect, giving away money if, as 

a result of major process fluctuations, 

one achieves 20 % elongation at break 

instead of the required 10 %. There are 

also frequently further disadvantages, 

such as higher reject rates due to blister 

formation and stronger deformations 

because of this type of heat treatment. 

Customers, however, only pay for exactly 

what they asked for and specified. 

The same applies for agreed tolerances 

and inspections. In order to be 

able to act successfully here one must, 

of course, have as precise a knowledge 

as possible about the process chain and 

its main parameters and interactions 

such as, for example, the effect of the 

individual elements in the alloy. These 

interactions also apply regarding the 

question of to what extent which stages 

in the entire process chain can be automated. 

Of course, each automation 

process has the positive effect that one 

can better control and document the 

parameters of the particular sub-process. 

On the other hand, however, automation 

involves additional costs. 

Complete automation of the production 

process, therefore, does not necessarily 

create an optimal solution. “The 

absolute key to success ultimately remains 

the expertise to precisely master 

one’s own processes – and the subsequent 

optimization of the costs situation. 

Thanks to this capability, we are 

able to act successfully on fiercely competitive 

international markets despite 

high domestic wage levels,” stresses 

Axel Schmidt. 

www.dgs-druckguss.com 

Picture galery showing 

the manufacturing 

process at DGS 

Druckguss in St. Gallen, 

Switzerland 

http://bit.ly/22u6ndR 


K MELTING SHOP 

Overall view of an induction-heated pouring furnace (Photos and Graphics: Dietmar Trauzeddel) 

Author: Dietmar Trauzeddel, Simmerath-Lammersdorf 

Pouring furnaces and pouring 

devices – state of the art and 

development targets 

Part 1: Pouring furnaces 

Introduction 

The following article deals with pouring 

furnaces and pouring devices for 

cast iron that form an integral part of 

molding lines and are therefore essentially 

stationary, i.e., capable of only 

limited movement at the mold line. 

The need to develop and use automatic 

pouring furnaces or pouring devices 

for mold casting processes arose from 

a specific set of requirements. Thus, on 

the one hand, in manual pouring from 

a ladle the pouring parameters vary 

too much with the individual operator’s 

skills and daily form. As a result, 

the process is barely reproducible and 

the achievable weight precision is insufficient, 

amounting to approx. 5 % 

according to [1]. On the other hand, 

there are the production conditions resulting 

from an increasing automation 

of the molding process. On high-output 

molding machines of the type 

commonly used in high-volume production, 

the cycle time often amounts 

to as little as 6 – 15 s. Within this interval 

the system must manoeuver into 

the pouring position and fill the mold. 

Moreover, this needs to be achieved 

with a variable pouring rate corresponding 

to the mold’s intake capacity 

while ensuring a high repeatability 

and accuracy of the optimized pouring 

profile. The specific location of the 

mold’s sprue cup must be reached accurately 

within the available time win- 


dow. In addition, it is necessary to keep 

the pouring temperature and metal 

composition within close tolerances 

while also providing for a temporary 

melt storage capability. 

The development and manufacture 

of air-pressurized induction-heated 

pouring furnaces in the 1960s and 

the subsequent arrival of the stopper-controlled 

dosing system satisfied 

the above demands, enabling this type 

of pouring furnace – further improved 

and optimized – to become a fixture in 

foundries everywhere today. 

Pouring devices – a term denoting all 

unheated melt dispensing units – can 

be distinguished into the following basic 

categories, depending on the pouring 

technique employed: 

» lip pouring from a tilting vessel, 

» stopper-controlled pouring with 

gravity flow and 

» stopper-controlled pouring with 

pressurized flow 

Pouring furnace 

Pouring device 

Capacity 2–50 t 0,6–3,2 t 

Pouring time 30 min 5–10 min 

Temperature drop 0,5 °C/min 5–10 °C/min 

Temperature accuracy +/- 5 K 25–50 K 

Pouring rate 1–40** kg/s 2–20 kg/s 

Alloy change 4–5 h 1 min 

Vessel change 12–16 h 1 min 

Simultaneous filling and pouring yes no 

Use as a buffer limited no 

Automatic dosing and pouring yes yes 

Slag-free pouring yes yes 

Holding of Mg-treated cast iron yes no 

Molding machine specs. 

Pouring weight 

Cycle times 

* Pouring device: Tilting ladle principle 

** depending on nozzle diameter chosen 

*** use of two pouring devices extends the range 

wide range 

wide range 

small to medium *** 

small to medium *** 

Table 1: Technical comparison of pouring furnace and pouring device* 

Figure 1: Basic data of some existing pouring furnaces 

Pouring devices have come to supplement 

the range of pouring furnaces 

and are often used to address 

particular requirements. It should be 

remembered at this point that on unpressurized 

stopper-controlled pouring 

devices the bath level drops in the 

pouring spout area. This is not the 

case with pressurized units, i.e., these 

pouring devices on principle resemble 

a pouring furnace, except that they are 

unheated. As shall be pointed out below, 

some systems of this type can be 

retrofitted with an inductor to make 

them heatable. It should also be mentioned 

that the use of electromagnetic 

forces for conveying and dosing the 

melt flow has not found its way into 

industrial practice, with a few exceptions 

in the industry of the former Soviet 

Union. 

As regards the methods used to manage 

and control the dispensing flow 

rate, the pouring furnace and pouring 

device do not differ fundamentally, 

except in terms of the pouring operation 

itself. The melt flow can be controlled 

by adhering to a stored pouring 

curve, or else by weight, by time or 

by the melt level in the sprue cup. A 

combination of these, i.e., a flow control 

scheme based on a stored pouring 

curve plus time, is also feasible. 

Comparison between pouring 

furnace and pouring device 

This comparison has been carried out 

for the two fundamentally different 

equipment types, i.e., the unheated 

unit which is tilted for pouring (ladle 

principle) and the induction-heated 

pouring furnace. A summary of 

this technical comparison is given in 

Table 1. 

A particular advantage of the pouring 

device lies in its ability to support 

quick alloy and vessel changes, as well 

as in its more straightforward refractory 

lining. Its capacity is usually rated 

such that a ladle change must be performed 

after approx. 10 min due to the 

temperature loss. Since this changeover 

takes approx. 1 min to complete, 



Figure 2: Main menu of the multi-touch display 

Figure 3: New stopper actuator 

no metal can be poured during this 

interval unless the process comprises 

two pouring devices. A pouring device 

of this type is suitable mainly for use 

on molding machines with longer cycle 

times and medium or low pouring 

weights. 

As regards the achievable metal dosing 

accuracy, no reliable figures or evaluations 

that would support a comparison 

of this kind are available. 

The advantages of a pouring furnace, 

needless to say, reside in the low temperature 

loss and the high temperature 

constancy achievable by heating, 

as well as in the accurate control of the 

melt composition, a longer melt holding 

ability, and the fact that fresh metal 

can be added without interrupting 

the pouring process. As a result, molten 

metal can be poured continuously. 

As reported in an earlier article in 

this periodical [2], the pouring furnace 

scores better in terms of energy 

consumption when measured in 

multi-shift operation. The energy input 

needed to compensate for the temperature 

losses was taken into account 

in this comparison. 

Pouring furnaces for cast iron 

Furnace sizes 

The design principle of the pressurized 

pouring furnace with stopper control 

system can be assumed to be known, 

refer to Figure 1. In the following text 

we shall therefore limit ourselves to a 

presentation of individual new developments. 

The basic data of some pouring 

furnace projects realized in practice 

( Figure 1) illustrate the wide ranges of 

capacity and power ratings involved. 

If one considers the holding power 

consumption, it emerges that pouring 

furnaces are typically built with a 

higher superheating power than channel-type 

induction furnaces. A typical 

rating would be one that enables the 


furnace to superheat the metal by 90 – 

110 K in one hour. This is because rapid 

superheating may become necessary 

in pouring furnace applications 

where the incoming metal temperature 

is too low, e.g., to reach the specified 

melt pouring temperature in minimum 

time again after refilling. The 

small holding volume will not suffice 

to provide the required temperature 

equalization, especially if the vessel is 

depleted to the level of the liquid heel. 

In some cases, however, a much 

higher superheating power is required. 

Thus, one 5-t pouring furnace installation 

was equipped with a 1000 kW 

powerpack enabling it to realize a 90 K 

temperature rise within approx. 4 min. 

In order to ensure a rapid temperature 

equalization between the metal in the 

filling gate siphon and in the furnace 

vessel, the furnace pressure is lowered 

and then increased again to obtain a 

“pumping” effect. 

It should not be left unmentioned 

here that in pouring magnesium-treated 

cast iron (for making spheroidal 

graphite or “S.G.” iron), a little more 

superheating power is desirable. The inductor 

rating should be approx. 50 kW 

higher in this case in order to prevent 

accretions of magnesium oxide slag [3]. 

The chart also shows that the specific 

holding power consumption naturally 

decreases significantly with increasing 

furnace size. 

Heating system 

It is generally known that the heat for 

holding and superheating the molten 

metal is generated by a channel inductor 

comprizing a U-shaped channel 

which is attached to the side or on 

the bottom of the vessel. The trend today 

is for inductors to be fitted at the 

vessel bottom, especially for pouring 

S.G. iron. 

The use of coreless inductors (of 

crucible shape), although resulting in 

a somewhat higher energy consumption, 

had originally promised a number 

of process advantages. However, it 

has fallen short of gaining the expected 

success. 

The heat loss of the coil is absorbed 

by a water cooling system which also 

cools the inductor. Since the inductor 

rating may range from 150 kW to 

1200 kW (refer to Figure 1), the design 

and, especially, the channel geometry 

must be adapted to the specific power 

level. One approach being considered 

here is to adopt air-cooling for inductors 

in the lower power range. In this 

context, developers are focusing on enlarging 

the heat-dissipating surface of 

the inductor. 

These design changes are currently 

implemented in a project involving a 

4-t pouring furnace with an air-cooled 

250 kW inductor. However, no general 

trend for inductors in the lower power 

bracket can be derived from this case. 

Project related decisions remain to be 

taken individually, on a case-by-case 

basis, weighing the benefits and drawbacks 

anew for each system. 

It need not be mentioned here that 

air-cooled inductors for pouring furnaces 

are not, by themselves, a novelty 

feature. 

The electric power supply of pouring 

furnaces is based mainly on rugged 

mains-frequency switchgear systems. 

In individual cases, frequency converters 

relying on IGBT technology are today 

employed as well where technical 

Figure 4: Trial setup comprising the 

new stopper actuator and Belysa camera 

system 

conditions – especially regarding infinitely 

variable power control – suggest 

their use. One example is the project 

of a 5-t pouring furnace equipped 

with an IGBT converter system that 

Figure 5: Newly developed inoculation system 



delivers up to 1000 kW to provide robust 

superheating by 90 K in minimum 

time. It should be noted here that the 

system’s holding power consumption 

is in the region of 150 kWh/h, and that 

the typical power supply of a 5-t furnace 

lies in the 200 – 300 kW range. 

In the case considered here, the accurate 

power control required for a superheating 

process depending on furnace 

parameters (furnace contents, temperature) 

suggested the use of an IGBT 

converter system. Further circuit engineering 

options supported by IGBT 

converter technology, e.g., variable frequency 

operation or the use of a joint 

power supply for two distinct furnaces, 

have not found their way into practical 

pouring furnace applications to 

date. From this we may conclude that 

the use of frequency converters is likely 

to remain limited to individual cases 

where this technology provides identifiable 

benefits. 

Process management and control 

The standard today is a PC-based process 

control and visualization system 

to monitor, supervise and operate all 

pouring furnace components and their 

functions. In addition, these systems 

handle the storage, management and 

transmission of technical parameters. 

The human/machine interface comprises 

a TFT monitor with mouse control 

and a sealed keypad for entering 

alphanumeric characters and control 

commands. 

At present, the changeover to systems 

with single or multi-touch display 

units is proceeding. Figure 2 

shows the main menu prepared for use 

with this new generation. 

The dispensing accuracy is determined, 

among other factors, by the 

technical performance of the stopper 

control system and its actuator. For 

precise operation of the stopper actuator, 

fast and accurate positioning of the 

stopper are essential. Further requirements 

include an adjustable, controlled 

stopper closing force, automatic nozzle 

wear compensation and appropriate 

nozzle cleaning and seating devices. 

The new electrical stopper actuator 

developed by Otto Junker, Simmerath, 

Germany, (Figure 3) meets these demands 

with a high degree of reliability. 

The new stopper control system moves 

the stopper via a genuine linear actuator 

using magnetic force. The only moving 

part is the push rod (secondary part) 

with its machined spiral-shaped groove. 

This push rod is separated by a defined 

air gap from the hollow stator shaft (primary 

part, two-pole wound laminated 

core). As a result, the actuator system 

operates with virtually no wear. 

Due to the low self-retention action 

of the linear actuator the stopper will 

drop under its own weight in the case 

of a power failure, thus closing off the 

pouring nozzle. An integrated lever 

system makes it very easy to raise the 

stopper manually into a mechanical 

snap-lock position. 

When the stopper control system is 

switched off at the end of production 

the linear actuator raises the stopper 

into the same snap-lock position. After 

that the power pack of the actuator 

is switched off automatically. When 

the stopper control system is switched 

on the power pack is energized and the 

linear actuator automatically moves 

the stopper from its snap-lock position 

into the pouring spout nozzle. 

The stopper is pressed into the pouring 

nozzle at an adjustable controlled 

force acting in addition to the force of 

the stopper’s weight. In this way the 

stopper and/or nozzle wear is automatically 

compensated up to an adjustable 

wear limit. 

Along with the development of this 

new stopper actuator, a new camera 

system (by Belysa) measuring the metal 

level in the mold sprue cup as input 

for controlling the pouring rate has 

undergone trials. 

Figure 4 shows the trial set-up consisting 

of the new stopper actuator and 

the Belysa camera system. The set-up 

of a pouring furnace spout system including 

a complete control panel made 

Figure 6: Schematic illustration of the swivelling dual-stopper system 


Figure 7: Pouring vessel quick-change device 

it possible to test the equipment under 

near-real-world conditions. Further 

trials in an industrial environment 

showed a high dosing accuracy, with 

only a few millimetres deviation from 

the specified melt level in the sprue cup. 

Meanwhile, following long-term evaluation, 

the new stopper actuator and 

camera system have been successfully 

integrated in a number of projects. 

For a metal stream inoculation of 

optimum effectiveness, it is necessary 

to introduce a closely defined amount 

of inoculant into the pouring stream 

throughout the pouring process. For 

quality control purposes, the amount 

of inoculant added should be determined 

and documented. 

Since existing inoculating systems 

fail to meet these requirements in a 

perfect manner and the dosing process 

is not accurate enough, the concept of 

a new equipment generation was developed 

and tested. 

The new inoculation system 

( Figure 5) operates as follows: Inoculant 

is pre-metered into an intermediate vessel 

from where a frequency controlled 

fine-metering screw drive delivers it to a 

precision weighing system for accurate 

control and logging of the inoculant 

quantity. The system thus provides control 

of the inoculation rate while also 

recording the amount of inoculant actually 

added to each pour. 

A PLC is employed to manage and 

control the system, with a touch panel 

or Otto Junker’s proprietary JOKS system 

providing visualization and operating 

functions. Stored data can be 

polled via an appropriate interface. 

Extensive testing has demonstrated 

the system’s full operability and high 

metering accuracy. 

At the time of writing this report, the 

prototype of the new inoculation system 

was undergoing long-time testing 

under production conditions at Ergocast 

Guss GmbH, Jünkerath, Germany. 

Special pouring techniques 

Direct pouring with a controlled single-stopper 

system into the sprue cup 

of the mold is not feasible in some cases, 

e.g., where 

» an inoculation or alloying step with 

weight-based dosing is to be carried 

out directly before the pouring operation, 

» an open top runner is used on the 

mold, 

» the stopper cannot be positioned directly 

over the sprue for space reasons, 

» the pouring time exceeds the cycle 

time of the molding machine, 

» it is necessary to fill two molds, or 

one mold with two sprue cups, simultaneously 

or 

» the molding machine advances the 

molds continuously. 

In such applications the use of dualstopper, 

tundish or launder based solutions 

suggests itself to meet the technical 

requirements [4]. 

In order to produce two distinct castings 

in one molding box with separate 

sprue cups, a dual-stopper system must 

be used (even triple systems have been 

realized by now). The same applies if 

melt must be poured into two sprue 

cups for a single casting. 

The sprues can be filled with molten 

metal either concurrently or one after 

the other. A dual-stopper system is also 

used for filling two mold boxes at the 

same time. 

On molding machines with a very 

high output and hence, a short time 

to complete a mold, the available cycle 

time may be shorter than the required 

pouring time. Through the use of travelling 

tundishes, the requisite pouring 

times can nevertheless be attained. 

An alternative solution is to double 

the available pouring time by advancing 

two molds or mold boxes simultaneously 

so that the cycle will comprise 

two concurrent molding operations. 

For the pouring furnace, this means 

that two molds must be filled at the 

same time, with a possible change in 

the sprue cup position. 

This requirement is addressed by a 

newly developed Otto Junker solution 

[5] involving two independently swiv- 



The basic principle (Figure 8) is to 

pressurize the furnace vessel and to 

force the melt into the mold from below. 

Since the pouring rate will thus 

depend on the pressure profile and not 

merely on the mold’s intake capacity, 

the pouring curve can be actively controlled. 

The advantages obtained by this 

pouring technique can be summarized 

thus: 

» reduced minimum wall thickness 

» rising laminar mold filling process 

without oxide inclusions 

» high dispensing accuracy and actively 

controllable pouring characteristics 

» less returns 

» improved cost efficiency and process 

reliability 

Figure 8: Schematic drawing of a low-pressure pouring furnace 

elling stoppers. Figure 6 outlines the 

system concept. The extent to which 

this system can actually be adopted in 

practice remains to be confirmed by industrial 

trials. 

Quick change of the pouring vessel 

Necessary relinings of the inductor 

or pouring vessel and other repair or 

maintenance procedures may, more 

or less frequently, call for a pouring 

vessel replacement. This is a time-consuming 

process which may result in 

down times of the molding machine. 

Where such replacements are frequent, 

e.g., due to short inductor lifetime, 

the associated losses may be 

hard to accept. 

In the case of a project at Gienanth 

GmbH, Eisenberg, Germany, the aim 

was to implement a pouring vessel 

change within one shift, or in less than 

6 h. In two-shift operation, loss of production 

will thus be avoided even if 

the change requirement should arise 

during the week. Needless to say, this 

scenario assumes that a second furnace 

vessel is available fully sintered 

and ready for installation. 

Providing a vessel quick-change capability 

on a pressurized pouring furnace 

imposed a number of modifications 

to the existing design. Chief 

among these is an additional platform 

fitted on the furnace vessel by which 

the entire vessel can be lifted out without 

the tilting frame (Figure 7). For 

this operation, all ancillary equipment 

such as the compressed air supply, 

stopper actuator, etc., remain in 

place in the furnace frame or are merely 

swung out of the way, while the electric 

power and water supply lines are 

disconnected via quick-couplings. 

The quick-change system is also used 

on Otto Junker’s unheated UGD type 

pouring devices, as further projects 

demonstrate. 

New process technology 

The demand for high-quality castings 

having a reduced wall thickness will 

boost the use of the low-pressure casting 

technique in iron casting as well. 

In aluminium and copper casting, this 

technology is no longer new but has 

evolved into a successful production 

method [6]. 

A fact to be accepted is that, upon completion 

of the actual pouring cycle, it 

is necessary to turn the mold upside 

down or to close off the sprue with a 

valve gate, or else to extend the cycle 

time until the melt has solidified in the 

sprue area. 

A number of trial systems using this 

process technology have been serving 

in steel foundries for quite some time. 

M. Werner and E. Dötsch have reported 

on a current industrial application 

involving the production of cast steel 

turbine housings for exhaust gas turbochargers 

[7]. The use of this process 

technology for casting thin-walled 

grey cast iron parts will remain the object 

of future development. 

Conclusion 

Pouring furnace technology has proven 

its merits in numerous foundry 

applications. The developments and 

trends presented herein attest to the 

scope for further improvement and optimization 

of this technology, as well 

as for exploring new fields of use. 

http://www.otto-junker.de/en 

References: 

www.cpt-international.com 


Pouring sequence during dynamic tilt casting of a cylinder head: 10, 30, 60 and 90 % mold filling (from top left to 

bottom right ) (Photos: Smetan Engineering) 

Author: Herbert Smetan, Smetan Engineering, Siersburg 

Dynamic tilt casting with 

low-pressure die casting machines 

As a result of the general trend of “downsizing” engines in passenger cars, we have been 

observingaconstantincreaseinthespecificoutputofcombustionengines.Consequently,in 

cylinderheadcastingthecommonlyusedtechniquesoflow-pressurediecastingandclassicalbottom-pouredgravitydiecastingarebeingincreasinglyreplacedbydynamiccastingmethods 

[1],[2].Especially,insituationswhereexistingplantsaretobeadaptedtomeetcurrentrequirementstheobjectiveistofindsolutionsallowingtheavailableequipmenttobecontinuedtobeusedasbestaspossible. 

The author has published various articles 

dealing with the most common 

casting techniques for cylinder heads 

[1], [2]. In those publications, the dispersion 

of thin oxide films within the 

matrix, the characteristics of dendrite 

arm spacing and the preconditions 

for directional solidification are considered 

as the main criteria able to determine 

whether a particular casting 

technique is a suitable process for the 

volume production of cylinder heads 


K CASTING TECHNOLOGY 

subjected to extreme stress. In the investigations, 

a dynamic casting technique, 

which fills the cavity in a controlled 

tilting movement with the 

feeder (Figure 1), proved to be clearly 

the most preferred method. 

Especially in the production of modern, 

highly stressed cylinder heads, 

classical low-pressure die casting has 

been reaching its limits because it fails 

to achieve the required fine-grained 

microstructure in the calottes of the 

combustion chambers. Therefore ways 

had to be found how to expand the 

potential of existing low-pressure die 

casting equipment by a process adaptation 

that would require only minimal 

capital investment. This was achieved 

by pouring the molten metal directly 

from the low-pressure pouring furnace 

into the pouring basin, as schematically 

shown in Figure 2. 

Versus a process using a bale-out furnace 

with an undocked basin, the newly 

introduced solution means just a few 

seconds of additional cycle time. At the 

same time, it provides the possibility of 

handling greater casting weights and 

the benefit of having less mechanical 

elements near the hot die. This solution 

Dynamic Static 

Bottom poured Top poured Low-pressure casting 

Static casting 

Oxide films -- 

DAS - 

Directional solidification - 

Dynamic tilt casting 

Oxide films ++ 

DAS + 

Directional solidification + 

*) unless formed during basin filling or in the riser tube 

Static casting 

Oxide films --- 

DAS ++ 


Dynamic tilt casting 

Oxide films *) +++ 

DAS +++ 

Directional solidification +++ 

Low-pressure feeding 


DAS --- 

Directional solidification ++ 

Gravity feeding 


DAS + 


Figure 1: Comparison of applied mold filling and feeding principles (Graphics: 

Smetan Engineering) 

would also be an option for the production 

of larger cylinder heads and for engine 

blocks. However, the most important 

benefit of this approach is that it 

requires only minimally invasive measures 

to transform existing low-pressure 

die casting capacities used for the production 

of cylinder heads to modern, 

future-oriented casting equipment. 

The CAD image in Figure 3 shows 

the equipment design implementing 

this solution. The pouring basin 

is being filled from below with a perfectly 

clean and oxide-free alloy directly 

from the low-pressure pouring 

furnace, without causing any disturbing 

turbulences. This requires a special 

geometrical design of the docking 

Figure 2: Turbulence-free filling of the pouring basin from a low-pressure pouring furnace for dynamic tilt casting 

(schematic illustration of design details). 


Figure 3: Low-pressure filling of the pouring basin is a minimally invasive 

solution to transform low-pressure casting cells into dynamic tilt casting 

equipment. 

interface: two mating spherical faces 

serve as annular seals, with the inside 

sphere having a slightly smaller diameter 

than the outside one. All that needs 

to be done to ensure trouble-free operation 

and protect the tool steel surfaces 

serving as the annular seal is to lightly 

spray the spherical faces with a graphite-containing 

emulsion after each cycle. 

The inside of the riser tube is made 

of a suitable ceramic material covered 

by an outside shell made of tool steel. 

Only outside of the furnace chamber is 

the riser tube covered by the steel shell, 

which is of telescopic design in order to 

be able to flexibly compensate the impact 

caused by the docking of the basin 

whenever a new pouring cycle starts. 

The connection is self-centering due to 

the spherically shaped interfacing elements. 

Similarly designed elements 

have already proven highly successful 

in low-pressure casting machines as robust 

and reliable solutions for quick die 

changes. The ceramic stopper including 

the stopper brick and the stopper 

control can meanwhile be considered 

as standard equipment also in aluminium 

foundries. 

Therefore the described solution is 

an ideal option for foundries wishing 

to adapt to current market developments 

without having to replace major 

parts of their production equipment. 

www.smetan-engineering.com 

References: 

www.cpt-international.com 

Temperature Control. 

Smart. Reliable. 

Proven quality 

& Swiss precision 

Reliable Swiss quality, in use successfully 

for 50 years. The temperature 

control units from REGLOPLAS are 

convincing because of their precision, 

long service life and compatibility. 

Casting Plant & Technology 2/2016 25 

www.regloplas.com

K CLEANING, FETTLING & FINISHING 

Author: Vadim Malashonak, Regional Sales Manager at WINOA Germany, Denzlingen 

Increasing blasting efficiency 

through innovative blasting media 

The optimization of blasting by reducing wear and tear and blasting time was the focus of an 

industrial trial at the Mercedes-Benz factory in Mannheim - with considerable success 

It all began with a vision: an innovative 

blasting media with high energy 

transfer capabilities and a wear reducing 

feature for the wheelblasting machines 

in a foundry application. 

Following a long development period, 

the new product Hybrid Shot was 

introduced by the R&D department of 

Winoa Germany, Denzlingen, for the 

purpose of trials with Daimler AG. In 

order to meet the high quality requirements 

of the customer’s cylinder head 

bodies and to extinguish all doubts, a 

principle experiment was performed 

in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, with 

the blasting machine manufacturer 

Wheelabrator, headquartered in Taastrup, 

Denmark. The calculated blasting 

times, the wear performance and the 

achieved quality paved the way for industrial 

testing quickly. 

Optimizing quality, increasing 

efficiency – a success story 

Winoa, Les Cheylas, France, a world 

leader in the manufacturing of steel 

abrasives, with 14 factories and six 

technical and training centres across 

the world, was so convinced by the results 

achieved with Hybrid Shot during 

the initial trials, that even a WA Cost 

– a cost reduction calculation taking 

into consideration all costs in the 

blasting process i.e. energy, blasting 

agents, personnel, maintenance and 

other additional aspects – was created 

and the global blasting cost savings 

were guaranteed. 

According to the definition of the 

large scale test sequence and the exact 

objectives, economic benefits 

were the main purpose of the project. 

Under consideration of the correct procedures 

with such experiments, which 

The new Winoa product, Hybrid Shot, for better blasting results (Photos and 

graphics: Winoa) 

Winoa describes as “the seven stages of 

success” (as a global standard), nothing 

stood in the way of a successful conversion 

any longer. With the beginning of 

the testing of the Hybrid Shot and the 

training of the operational staff, regular 

inspection and verification of the 

operating mixture in the test blasting 

facility were at all times guaranteed by 

the support of the technical WALUE 

department. The accurate angle of the 

blast wheels could be set more exactly 

with the use of the revolutionary blasting 

image adjustment method, which 

involves the use of a thermal imaging 

camera ( Figure 1). 

During the assessment, the roughness 

measurements in particular proved 

to be impressive. The difference of 

the surface following blasting with 

high carbon content blasting media 

(compared to low carbon content 

ones) showed considerably less roughness; 

this yielded a positive effect in 

the followup process of the painting 

system. The 3D surfaces method also 

showed nothing to be doubtful about 

– the roughness values became lower 

and more constant with the Hybrid 

Shot. 

So what has improved? And how 

were such improvements achieved? 

The premium product has a slightly 

more aggressive particle shape and a 

higher rebound effect. These characteristics 

contributed to the fact that 

the efficiency of the cleaning of the 

engine block became comparable after 


400 

Hotspot 

100 

645 

485 

1000 

Manipulator tongs 

Bush adjustment (new): 

185° 

Srcew of 

manipulator arm 

Schematic illustration 

of bush adjustment 

Figure 1: A shot of the sheet with a thermal imaging camera, the corresponding box position of the centrifugal wheel 

and the schematic representation of the hotspot 

the casting; meanwhile, the blasting times for them were 

able to be reduced by up to 15 %, and the blade wear by up 

to 40 %. This finding lies in contrast to conventional expert 

opinions, according to which the wear of blasting equipment 

will increase after a switch from low carbon content 

blasting to high carbon content blasting methods. This is 

new and revolutionary in the professional world – with the 

help of the Hybrid Shot and the blasting system parameter’s 

optimizations, the greatest saving potential in the 

analysis was found in the area of wear reduction. The guaranteed 

total cost savings at three blasting facilities were 

even exceeded by approximately 20 %. During a repeated 

analysis, the saving potential was confirmed. This means 

that the increase in productivity, which would be made 

conceivable as a result of the blasting time reduction with 

the new premium product, was still yet to be taken into account 

during the assessment. 

Although the industrial trial with Hybrid Shot was officially 

reported as completed, the intensive support of the 

Winoa staff extends further than this. The Winoa machine 

inspection reports aim to indicate the current status and 

performance of the blasting equipment, so that, in the event 

of any deviations, adaptations may be made in collaboration 

with the Daimler staff. 

www.wabrasives.de 


K SIMULATION 

Author: Axel Schmidt, Head of Technology, Development & Project management, DGS Druckguss-Systeme AG, St. Gallen 

DGS produces one of the largest 

die cast parts worldwide 

Prach hour, the sun radiates enough energy onto the earth to cover the annual energy demand 

of the whole world population. For better exploitation of this solar energy, DGS Druckguss Systeme 

AG, St. Gallen, Switzerland, produces frames for hot water solar panels. Recently, the production 

of these frames was changed from welded extrusion molded parts to aluminum die 

castings. The success of this change was so noteworthy that the new frame received a ”Special 

Recognition“ award in the International 2014 Aluminum Die Casting Competition 

Frame for hot water solar panels: Frame 

Dimensions and Profile (Photos 

and Graphics: DGS Druckguss) 

The change of the production route was 

mainly motivated by the better longevity 

and tightness of the die cast parts in 

comparison to welded parts. Due to the 

roof assembly, the frames are subject to 

Figure 1: Distortion analysis of the 

initial design (20x amplified; left: 

vertical, right: horizontal) 

major temperature changes by which 

the seams of welded frames can tear. As 

a consequence, humidity penetrates the 

frame and damages the absorber layer. 

In the end, considerable efficiency losses 

occur. The die cast frames do not have 

this weakness and are therefore decisively 

more robust. At the same time, the 

frames must meet highest overall demands: 

at least 20 years of guaranteed 

corrosion resistance, high dimensional 

accuracy and stability, a low weight and 

minimal total production costs. With 

dimensions of 2,050 x 1,230 x 50 mm 

at a weight of only 6 kg, their production 

is a huge challenge (Figure 1). 

To start, the frame design and the 

casting concept were developed. Critical 

manufacturing issues had to be recognized 

and considered right from the 

start. Tight dimensional tolerances and 

absolute squareness were obligatory to 

guarantee the assembly of the window 

pane. At the same time, dimensional 

stability for the pipe connections was required. 

To ensure the required mechanical 

properties and stiffness at just 5 mm 

wall thickness, early material property 

analysis and optimization was essential. 

A well castable and high-strength 

AlSi10MgMnSr primary alloy was chosen 

as the cast material. After a thorough 

evaluation, a one-piece braceless 

frame design was set, featuring a 

Z-shaped frame profile. 

The lay-out of the HPDC process itself 

was especially demanding. Comparable 

and reliable results for possible combinations 

of design and casting parameters 

had to be available very early. Axel 

Schmidt, leader of the project management 

with DGS, remembers the most 

critical questions: “Can this casting, 

with flow lengths of several meters, be 

completely filled at all? Which filling 

time is necessary for a complete filling? 

What happens if filling fronts meet after 

2 to 3 m of melt flow? How big are 

the length variations and how much 

does the massive gating pull the frame 

apart? We had to answer all these questions 

very early to work in a cost and resource 

efficient manner and to lead the 

project to a success”. At the beginning, 

a design with two gating areas was developed 

and evaluated with MAGMA 5 , 

looking at different quality criteria such 

as “Flow-Length”‚ “Fill Temperature” 

and “Material Trace”. As it turned out, 

solving the problem of frame distortion 

was the most challenging task. 


Figure 2: Final gating design: Temperature distribution at the end of filling. Right: Photo of the ejected casting 

The first simulation results indicated 

frame distortion values of up to 9 mm 

lengthways and 5 mm crossways for the 

initial gating design – results far from 

the customer specification. The situation 

was so severe that a complete redesign 

of the gating system was the only 

proper answer possible for the DGSteam. 

The experts checked further experience-based 

alternatives, again using 

Magmasoft. According to DGS, 

MAGMA 5 was a key factor to comply 

with the timeline and secure the success 

of the production process at the same 

time (Figure 2). 

The solution was eventually successfully 

identified: a system with gating 

are as in all four corners and a total of 

20 ingates (Figure 3). Axel Schmidt recapitulates: 

“To develop the design with 

minimized frame distortion, MAGMA 5 

played a crucial role. The possibility to 

quickly and early test different variations 

was essential, allowing us to create 

the gating system in a way that it exercises 

as little force on the casting as possible. 

This way we could actually completely 

avoid any critical distortion and 

minimize other casting related defects 

at the same time. The ‘material trace’ results 

allowed us to check the symmetric 

flow of the melt. And of course, the ‘distortion‘ 

result was used to analyze the 

warping of the part in great detail and 

document and discuss the effects of every 

design modification”. 

Next, the fixed casting lay-out had 

to be transferred to the conditions of 

the production environment. The design 

and placement of the die inserts 

and the cooling lines were the pending 

major tasks. Again, the DGS team 

used MAGMA 5 to develop the cooling 

of the 10-fold divided die halves. Two 

die halves weighing 14.1 and 20.3 t, optimized 

with regard to the especially demanding 

casting dimensions and cooling 

requirements, were the final result. 

The die was cleared for manufacturing 

and the production could eventually 

launch on time. Today, the final product 

is an integral part of two different solar 

collectors of leading manufacturers. 

DGS strikes a positive balance. 

Schmidt: “By using MAGMA 5 we succeeded 

in producing the frame right 

from the start, in accordance to the 

strict demands regarding time and cost. 

No in-production changes were necessary. 

Today, in spite of the 24 kg shot 

weight at only 6.3 kg component weight 

and a form filling time of just 40 ms, the 

frames are produced without critical distortion. 

The project is not only an economic 

success but also a recent proof of 

the innovation ability of DGS.” 

Meanwhile numerous new demanding 

die castings are being developed at 

Figure 3: Die cast part after removal 

from the die casting cell 

DGS. The DGS team is exploring the 

new possibilities for virtual experimentation 

and automatic optimization 

in MAGMA 5 Rel. 5.3. The identification 

of robust process conditions 

and the active support in the assessment 

of designs of experiments complement 

their experience based efforts 

well. DGS will continue to use 

MAGMA 5 to open up further time and 

cost potentials. 

www.dgs-druckguss.com/en 

www.magmasoft.de/en 

DGS Druckguss Systeme AG is a globally active developer and producer of demanding 

light alloy aluminum and magnesium die cast components, counting more 

than 900 employees at its facilities in St. Gallen (Switzerland), Liberec (Czech Republic) 

and Nansha (China). Since its foundation in 1950, the company has established 

itself through its technology and production competence and uncompromising reliability 

as an authoritative system supplier in the value chain of its customers, mainly 

the automobile industry. DGS is ISO TS 16949, ISO 14001 und OHSAS 18001 certified. 

Besides its production competence, DGS is an important development partner 

for its customers, with a special focus on material and process development. 


K SIMULATION 

Author: Christof Nowaczyk, Product Manager for Design Service Europe & Asia, ASK Chemicals, Hilden 

Core shooting simulation – to the 

economic and environmental 

advantage of the foundry 

The simulation of core production, which is known as core shooting simulation, offers enormous 

potential in terms of development and production 

Figure 1: Visualization of the filling dynamics (Figures: ASK Chemicals) 

Figure 2: Areas with highly diverse compaction 

As part of the Design Service, which 

has been established successfully on 

the international market for years, 

ASK Chemicals is focusing intensively 

on the topic of simulating foundry 

processes. This involves using almost 

all well-known software solutions, 

such as Magma, Flow-3D, Arena-Flow 

and Novacast. The company has thus 

gained a great deal of experience over 

several years, both in the area of simulating 

casting and solidification and in 

the area of simulating core shooting. 

But what potential does core shooting 

simulation offer? 

Not only does global competition 

demand ever-improving quality with 

shorter development and production 

times at lower costs from the companies; 

the constant upgrade of an increasingly 

diverse product range is the 

rule nowadays and presents a challenge 

to the caster that is at least just 

as great. In this situation, computer 

programs, such as simulation software, 

can help lower costs, reduce development 

times and design optimized stable 

processes. This is not a new insight, 

as this practice has been mastered in 

the casting and solidification area for 

years. 

While the development process from 

the idea to production led in the past 

from the drawing board via model 

construction, test casting and various 

adjustments to the finished product, 

computer-aided design (CAD), simulation, 

computer-aided manufacturing 

(CAM) and prototyping are used today. 

In brief, we speak of computer-aid- 


Figure 3: Tool wear – Kinetic energy x impact angle 

Figure 4: Crankcase water jacket with a poorly compacted area between 

cylinders 2 and 3 

Figure 5: Airflow in a core box 

ed engineering (CAE). With regard to 

model construction and also, specifically, 

the development and design of 

casting systems, this has certainly been 

the case for some years now. We are all 

familiar with the advantages and possibilities 

that simulation methods offer 

in this context. 

However, the simulation of core production 

must still be considered to be 

relatively new. But do we need this 

type of simulation? Surely, nobody 

knows more about their core business, 

i.e. their core production, than experienced 

casters themselves. Nevertheless, 

we must ask ourselves – is this 

true? Do we really know what happens 

and whether we have designed 

the most optimum setup? 

You could almost say that this sheds 

light on one of the last dark areas of our 

casting processes, and that this helps 

us to master our “core business” even 

better. 

Two key simulation steps are distinguished 

in core shooting simulation. 

The first is the simulation of the filling 

process of the core box, i.e. the actual 

shooting of the core. The second 

is possible or necessary gassing, i.e. a 

through-flow of gas through a cavity 

of a core box with any type of filling. 

The visualization of the filling dynamics 

(Figure 1) allows us to make precise 

predictions of areas with highly diverse 

degrees of compaction (Figure 2). 

Conclusions about areas with increased 

tool wear can also be drawn, 

or predictions can be made for areas in 

which an increased level of binder application 

can be expected. (Figure 3). 

The simulation software Arena-Flow 

is the only software on the market that 

can depict the actual interaction between 

particles (sand grains are particles) 

and the flow medium (air) in a realistic 

manner. It can depict problem 

areas with insufficient compaction 

very clearly (Figure 4). 

The compaction problem illustrated 

here is caused by a venting situation 

that is not ideal. 

This example also clearly shows that 

the filling dynamics or the filling behavior 

depends primarily on the flow 

conditions of the air in a core box. This 

flow behavior can be illustrated by flow 

vectors and shows very clearly where 

insufficient compaction or problems 

with gassing can be expected. 

In Figure 5, areas with insufficient 

airflow are shown in dark blue. With 

regard to gassing a core, this type of 

evaluation by means of simulation 

provides an initial insight into whether 

the process is homogeneous. If the 

lower box area already displays poor 


K SIMULATION 

Figure 6: Gassing result – before (left) and after (right) optimization 

Figure 7: Analysis of the interaction between the shooting head and the core box 

flow conditions, it can be assumed 

with certainty that gassing problems 

will occur. In this case, this means that 

significantly longer gassing times and 

unnecessarily high amine consumption 

are accepted in practice as a “series 

production status” of production. 

We must therefore speak of inefficient 

use of the amine here. 

The following example (Figure 6) 

shows how systematic use and an appropriate 

optimization of the setup 

can help improve the quality of the 

core significantly while simultaneously 

reducing the cycle time by approx. 

28 %. In this case, only the venting setup 

has been optimized. 

What are known as family core boxes 

are often designed to go with existing 

core shooting machines. Production is 

then frequently faced with the problem 

that the compaction of certain 

cores or areas of cores is insufficient, 

which often leads to increased cleaning 

effort or even considerable rework 

of the cast parts. In most cases, this is 

caused by the interaction between the 

geometry of the shooting head, which 

is installed, accepted as given and not 

considered further, and the actual setup 

of the core box and the arrangement 

of the shooting nozzles. 

Figure 7 shows clearly that the existing 

geometry prevents the back left 

area of the core from being filled completely, 

since the amount of mold material 

that can flow through the sand 

magazine in the given time is not sufficient. 

Such a situation inevitably leads to 

significant additional costs, which 

could have been avoided by performing 

a corresponding simulation beforehand. 

Adapting the design of the 

shooting head would certainly be the 

less expensive form of remedial action. 

In the worst case, however, this could 

jeopardize existing timelines and the 

possible adherence to milestones that 

determine the project. 

A further practical example, based 

on an oil duct core in a design by 

Figure 8: Simulation – pressurized oil 

duct, 3rd generation AUDI EA888: 

shooting nozzle dynamics 


The RevoluTion in 

GunninG 

TechnoloGy 

Improved application of low cement concretes 

with the patented GUNMIX ® -system and 

ROTAMAT gunning machine. 

The alternative to shotcreting! 

Figure 9: Simulation of gassing 

AUDI AG, shows the potential that 

core shooting simulation offers in 

terms of saving costs and resources. 

As part of a customer project, the 

task was to check an existing setup and 

to optimize it if necessary before constructing 

new core boxes. This project 

was supported and promoted not only 

by the foundry itself, but also by the 

client, AUDI AG. As an OEM that does 

not itself operate a foundry in which 

cores are used, AUDI AG consistently 

relies on simulation as a means of 

achieving stable processes, both in the 

foundry and in the purchasing companies 

later on (Figure 8). 

Summary 

As with any other type of simulation, 

the simulation of core production, 

which is known as core shooting simulation, 

offers enormous potential in 

terms of development and production 

– be it in the context of tool development, 

ensuring that this tool 

will perform in the most optimum 

way and as desired prior to expensive 

tool production, or be it as an aid for 

detecting error causes and savings potential. 

The simulation helps to plan, implement 

and operate stable processes. 

However, it also helps to improve cycle 

times and reduce amine consumption 

by optimizing gassing cycles ( Figure 9). 

This enables an increase in productivity 

and a reduction of resource consumption 

to occur. 

In the highly competitive international 

foundry market, this represents 

a distinct contribution to increasing or 

maintaining competitiveness. 

www.ask-chemicals.com 

Your benefits 

only minor dust emmission 

considerably less rebound 

higher quality of the refractory lining 

less investment cost 

low handling and cleaning efforts 

for gunning rates of 2 - 5 t/h 

VELCO GmbH 

Haberstrasse 40 

42551 Velbert/Germany 

info@velco.de • www.velco.de 


K AUTOMATION 

Author: Laura Schwarzbach, KUKA Roboter GmbH, Augsburg 

Well guide 

At the BMW plant in Landshut, permanent casting molds are cleaned with a manually guided 

KUKA robot 

In cooperation with the MRK-Systeme GmbH, an innovative solution for 

robot-based dry ice blasting for eight different types of tools has been developed 

(Photos: KUKA) 

The cleaning of permanent casting 

molds in foundries by using dry ice 

is today still largely done manually, 

which places a great strain on the 

worker. However, this is not the case 

at the foundry of the BMW plant in 

Landshut, Germany. Here, a KUKA robot 

of the KR Quantec series takes care 

of the cleaning procedure. The robot is 

taught its path by the worker through 

manual guidance. 

Since 1898, around 1,500 employees 

of the BMW Group in Landshut have 

been manufacturing five million cast 

components of aluminum and magnesium 

per year with a total weight 

of around 69,000 t. The scope of production 

includes engine components 

such as cylinder heads or crankcases 

as well as parts for the body structure 

and chassis. Once a week, the permanent 

molds in the foundry are cleaned 

with dry ice. The advantage of this 

non-abrasive and non-corrosive cleaning 

procedure is that it neither damages 

the material to be cleaned nor does 

it leave behind dry ice residue. With 

dry ice (solid CO 2 

), the most complex 

geometries, as are often found on permanent 

molds, can be cleaned without 

damaging or dismantling equipment. 

At BMW in Landshut, this was previously 

done manually. In cooperation 

with Augsburg-based MRK-Systeme 

GmbH, an innovative solution has 

now been developed for robot-based 

dry ice blasting for eight different types 

of tools. 

Founded in 2004, MRK-Systeme 

GmbH and its fourteen employees develop 

and implement function packages 

for human-robot collaboration. The 

system solutions are used mainly by 

automobile manufacturers and their 

suppliers but also by all other branches 

of industry. In cooperation with 

Cold Jet, the Augsburg company developed 

a cell for the foundry of the BMW 

plant in Landshut in order to make the 

cleaning procedure with dry ice more 

efficient and effective. The main player 

in this solution: a manually guided 

KUKA robot of the KR Quantec series. 

The worker first selects the “Smart- 

ICE” software on the KUKA smartPad 

teach pendant and from there uses the 

graphics to select the type of permanent 

mold as well as the relevant areas 

on the casting mold. The worker then 

manually guides the robot intuitively 

through these areas (Figure 1). This offers 

primarily ergonomic advantages 

when compared to the manual procedure. 

With the aid of the force/torque 

sensor, the robot can be easily guided 

without process forces. In addition, 

peripheral signals (e.g. to the actuators 

or from/to the dry ice aggregate 

through the Aero interface) can be easily 

saved in the program by the operator 

via touch operation. The worker 

then gets the robot to automatically 

execute the taught 3-D path and clean 

the permanent mold with the dry ice. 

“Since the worker no longer carries out 

the cleaning procedure directly, he is 

no longer exposed to dirt during the 

process,” explains Michael Mohre, 

Oper ations Manager at MRK Systeme. 


Figure 1: By hand-held teaching the robot learns where to go 

Figure 2: The robot is specially adapted to the requirements in the foundry 

“Beyond this, exposure to noise can 

also be minimized since the employee 

is no longer in the immediate vicinity 

during cleaning.” Following the ice 

blasting procedure, which lasts approximately 

30 min, the permanent 

mold is re-introduced into the casting 

production process and a new casting 

mold is brought into the station to be 

cleaned. 

A KR 210 R3100 F ultra KUKA robot is 

used in the innovative cell (Figure 2). 

This robot, specially developed for use 

in foundry environments, is equipped 

with special protective packages to effortlessly 

withstand heat, dirt, humidity, 

sand and cleaning agents. This 

makes it the ideal alternative, particularly 

for tough tasks that are arduous 

for human workers. Thanks to 

the safety interface X67, KUKA Safe- 

Operation software and the RSI (RobotSensorInterface), 

safety during direct 

contact with the human worker 

is ensured. 

These KUKA options form the basis 

for MRK’s SafeGuiding function package, 

which enables safe, intuitive and 

interactive manual guiding or programming 

of the KR 210. Intuitive robot 

operation, targeted program selection 

as well as automatic memory 

management are also ensured with further 

help from a customized user interface 

– which is installed as plug-in software 

on the KUKA controller. Without 

expert technical knowledge of the automation 

components, the operator 

can work productively and program 

the free-form surfaces of the permanent 

mold to be cleaned. 

The new system brings BMW many 

advantages. Through the use of the 

robot-based system, the interruption 

in the casting process has been shortened 

from 180 to 30 min – thus guaranteeing 

significantly higher output. 

The robot also enables repeatably accurate 

preparation of the tool and reduces 

the strain on the worker. Furthermore, 

the new solution decreases 

the impurities to be found in the casting 

area. The high-precision cleaning 

enhances the quality of the process. 

Last, but not least, the procedure 

must also be considered in the sense 

of “today for tomorrow”: since employees 

are getting older, BMW is already 

thinking about the future today 

by choosing robot-based solutions. 

Other applications with the robot 

cell are already in planning for permanent 

mold casting at BMW. The 

permanent molds will not just be 

cleaned, but the ceramic coating will 

be applied automatically to the casting 

mold as well. 

www.kuka-robotics.com 


K COMPANY 

Author: Karin Hardtke, Ratingen 

The Handtmann Group – a family - 

owned company with a future 

Albert Handtmann Metallgusswerk GmbH & Co. KG in Biberach is Germany’s largest 

family-owned light-metal foundry – and the heavyweight of the Handtmann Group. Arthur 

Handtmann took over his parent’s small foundry operation in 1945 and, during the following 

decades,turneditintoanefficient,innovativeandvalue-orientedcompanythatisnowininternational 

demand for its technical solutions in a variety of markets. His son, Thomas Handtmann, 

successfully runs the business. The 88-year-old passionate entrepreneur Arthur Handtmann, 

however, has no time for retirement – there is still much too much to be done 

Teamwork that still works well – for the good of the company: Senior Partner Arthur Handtmann with son Thomas 

Handtmann (right), who has been Managing Director of the Handtmann Group since 1998 (Photo: Handtmann) 

About 8,000 km as the crow flies, 

16 h travelling and an 8-h time difference 

– from tranquil Biberach (in 

Upper Swabia) to the vibrant Chinese 

port city of Tianjin and back – nothing 

at all to deter 88-year-old entrepreneur 

Arthur Handtmann (Figure 1). 

There is no way that he would have 

missed personally attending the official 

inauguration of the new Handtmann 

aluminum foundry and making 

the opening speech on 12 March 

2015. The family-owned company in 

Biberach had already been producing 

gear and transmission housings 

there for carmaker Volkswagen since 

November 2014. “The inauguration of 

our first Asian works is one of the most 

important milestones of my working 

life,” says Handtmann. Construction 

of the Chinese aluminum found- 


y is the largest single investment in 

the company’s history, amounting 

to about 80 million euros. In future, 

the Tianjin foundry will employ 400 

personnel and process up to 27,000 t 

of aluminum per year. Handtmann 

not only sees the new works offering 

growth opportunities on the Chinese 

market, but also thinks that the project 

will help secure orders from Europe’s 

automotive industry in the long term. 

Because nowadays they expect internationality 

and flexibility from their 

suppliers. “By the way, I travelled to 

China with our works doctor. I felt totally 

at ease there, but the doctor had 

a rough time,” Handtmann adds, eyes 

sparkling mischievously. 

Work and family keep 

him young 

Arthur Handtmann remains a constant 

in the company, even at almost 

90 years of age. He still goes to the office 

every day – full-time of course – 

though he does take Saturday afternoons 

off. The work keeps him young 

– and there is more than enough of it 

for Arthur Handtmann. Because since 

he handed over responsibility for the 

Handtmann Group to his son Thomas 

in 1998, among other things Arthur 

Handtmann has become President 

of the holding company’s Advisory 

Board, under whose aegis the various 

business divisions – with their own 

autonomous leadership structures – 

come together. The Advisory Board is 

closely involved in the most important 

strategic decisions, explains Handtmann. 

“An excellent, competent, decision-making 

committee. As Chairman, 

I have never yet had to veto a 

majority decision.” 

Arthur Handtmann also regularly 

attends the weekly exchange of information 

between the heads of the various 

production works and those of the 

HR and Finance Departments. Such 

meetings can last 6-8 h for larger business 

divisions, such as the light-metal 

foundry. Does he have a recipe for 

mastering these everyday challenges 

despite his advanced age? “Self-restraint 

regarding food and drink, one 

bottle of alcohol-free beer a day, and 

enjoying what one is doing,” says 

Figure 1: Fitter than some younger contemporaries: Arthur Handtmann is still 

far from considering retirement. He wants to continue to contribute his many 

years of experience (Photos: Klaus Bolz) 

Figure 2: High-pressure die casting, gravity die casting, lost foam, mechanical 

processing, component and system assembly: Handtmann produces more 

than 60 million castings every year. Three-shift operation is required, sometimes 

also on weekends, in order to meet the rising demand 

Handtmann spontaneously. And his 

wife, Ilse, of course, with whom he 

has been happily married for more 

than 60 years. She has always been his 

most important associate even during 

difficult times. He still appreciates her 

advice, and he can talk to her about 

everything that happens at Handtmann. 

“We are the smallest team in 

the Handtmann Group,” he says affectionately. 

Difficult initial year for the 

foundry 

About 3,500 employees now work for 

the Handtmann Group, of which more 

than 2,000 are involved in the light 

metal division alone. Apart from Biberach, 

the foundries are located in Annaberg 

(Saxony), Košice (Slovakia) and, 

of course, the new works in Tianjin in 

China. 60,000 t of aluminum and magnesium 

castings – from crankcases and 


K COMPANY 

cylinder heads up to structural components 

– are delivered annually to customers 

such as Volks wagen, Daimler, 

BMW and Audi ( Figure 2). In recent 

years there has been a trend towards 

supplying vehicle producers with components 

that can be installed on the assembly 

line – entire systems, not just 

individual parts. “The castings are becoming 

increasingly complex. Handtmann 

is one of the few foundries that 

can handle this,” a visibly proud Handtmann 

says. Apart from light-metal casting, 

there are other successful business 

fields, such as the production of portioning 

machines and filling machines, 

Handtmann took over his parent’s 

works (founded by Handtmann’s 

grand father in 1873 as a brass foundry) 

when he was just 18 in 1945. The 

war had just ended. Like many others, 

Arthur Handtmann had been a prisoner-of-war 

– an experience that had a 

lasting effect on the young man. “The 

humiliations that we had to endure as 

prisoners taught me what I would do 

differently regarding the treatment of 

my employees when I was in charge,” 

says Handtmann. His father was no 

longer healthy enough to run the small 

works (with 18 employees) alone. He 

asked his son whether he would take 

and then studied at an engineering 

college. “I was a student from Monday 

to Friday and provisional Managing 

Director on Saturday and Sunday.” 

A picture purchased from the estate of 

painter Otto Dix now reminds him of 

this turbulent time (Figure 3). It hangs 

in his office and shows the caster Zebatin 

von der Höri, from whom the then 

20-year-old learnt the principles of 

casting during an internship at the Allgeier 

pump factory in Radolfszell. But 

even during this initial period, Arthur 

Handtmann showed inventiveness, 

decisiveness and the ability to take 

unusual paths. He and his employees 

looked for useable materials in crashed 

planes: propellers, engines, wings and 

tail assemblies were melted down and 

made into noodle presses and waffle 

irons – a first attempt to produce aluminum 

castings instead of brass parts. 

Figure 3: Arthur Handtmann has had to master many challenges in his lifetime. 

Despite his success, he has always remained down-to-earth and devoted 

to his fellow humans 

the production of fittings and valves for 

the beverages sector, or innovative plastic 

technology. Sales of 770 million euros 

were realized in the 2015 business 

year, two-thirds of which will be thanks 

to light-metal casting. 

This rapid development could not 

have been predicted when Arthur 

over the responsibility. He, in turn, 

asked his father’s employees – who unanimously 

approved their new boss. 

The following years were a constant 

challenge for Arthur Handtmann – he 

had never graduated from school and 

had received no training. He first completed 

his schooling in private lessons 

Major investments in 

light‐metal casting 

After the currency reform of 1948, 

Handtmann recognized the signs of 

the times and consistently worked on 

aluminum castings. He started with a 

borrowed forming machine for sand 

casting, switched to gravity casting a 

few years later, and finally mass-produced 

parts to customer specifications 

using high-pressure die casting. His 

customers have increasingly included 

large vehicle producers since the mid- 

1970s. “The first 30 years were characterized 

by the constant modernizations 

necessary to keep the works 

alive.” And there were continuous battles 

with the banks about financing all 

this. These experiences have also influenced 

his entrepreneurial activities, he 

admits. The Handtmann Group has invested 

about 250 million euros during 

the last three years, as much as during 

the entire previous ten years. Most of 

this was used for expansion and modernization 

of the foundry, for example 

for a magnesium works project for 

Daimler and Audi at the Biberach site 

(Figure 4). “As a family-run company, 

however, we cannot invest 100 million 

euros every year. We want to avoid getting 

into financial difficulties,” stresses 

Arthur Handtmann. He has been able 

to savor a little revenge for the diffi- 


culties that he initially had with some 

banks. “I was later appointed to the 

Supervisory Board of a bank. They undoubtedly 

did not have much joy with 

me there,” he says, and that mischievous 

look can be seen in his eyes again. 

The Family Charter and Family 

Reunion promote cohesion 

Many companies have principles about 

acting with respect for employees and 

fairness towards business associates. 

The Handtmann Group, how ever, goes 

a step further. Here, there has been a socalled 

Family Charter for several years. 

It defines the company philosophy 

that binds all shareholders. Building 

upon this, corporate values have been 

defined for the company: values such 

as honesty, fairness, truthfulness and 

collaboration are included. Every employee 

receives training. These values 

also include frugality. A private chauffeur? 

Arthur Handtmann still considers 

this unnecessary; he prefers to drive 

himself. He is, he jokes, half Swabian 

and half Scottish (his mother was Scottish). 

And it is important to him that 

most of the pro fits generated remain in 

the company in order to build up further 

capital for investments. 

All the family members have been 

meeting once a year since 2006 for the 

Family Reunion that Arthur Handtmann 

and his wife Ilse initiated: the 

families of son Thomas and daughters 

Ursula and Elisabeth, 17 grandchildren 

and their partners, plus one 

great-grandchild then travel to Biberach. 

They include vets, farmers, brewers, 

mechanical engineers; the twoday 

event always starts with a tour of 

a works. Then experts on business, 

technology and management introduce 

specialist topics and present the 

changes in the company. After initial 

hesitation, everyone now looks 

forward to the annual get-together. 

“My wife and I very much hope that 

we can therefore rely on well-trained 

future leaders from the family,” says 

Handtmann. One grandchild is already 

on the Holding company’s Advisory 

Board. 

Nobody is obliged to do anything, 

however, stresses Arthur Handtmann. 

Son Thomas Handtmann also gradually 

Figure 4: The main site of the metal foundry in Arthur-Handtmann-Strasse in 

Biberach: the foundry sites together now have a total area of 650,000 m 2 for 

production and storage. 70 years ago, Arthur Handtmann started with just 

6,000 m 2 (Photo: Handmann). 

established himself in the company and 

then took over its management in 1998 

– during the 125th jubilee of Handtmann. 

“That all went very smoothly. A 

handshake and that was it,” remembers 

Handtmann Senior, who has complete 

confidence in his son. Thomas Handtmann 

completed an internship at ZF 

Friedrichshafen and added a course 

in engineering at the Federal Institute 

of Technology in Zürich (ETH) – “he 

did very well there” – before gathering 

further experience both in Germany 

and abroad, including at Mitsubishi 

in Japan, explains Arthur Handtmann 

proudly. The father then handed over 

responsibility for the fittings factory, 

which principally works for breweries. 

His son is solutions-oriented, someone 

who drives forward innovations. He 

stands for the same values whilst making 

his own distinctive marks. Then, during 

the jubilee year, finally the founding of 

a Holding company, the Handtmann 

Group; father and son withdraw from 

individual companies; Handtmann Senior 

takes over President of the Advisory 

Board; Handtmann Junior becomes 

Managing Director of the Group. 

The family foundation – 

a heart felt desire 

In order to ensure that his life’s work remains 

in family hands in the long term, 

Arthur Handtmann decided to put his 

share of 51 % of the Group in a family 

foundation in 2014. “A family foundation 

does not die.” This prevents the 

assets being divided among too many 

heirs and thus split up. “It ensures security 

for the Group, for jobs and for the 

employees,” Arthur Handtmann, who 

runs the foundation, is convinced. In 

addition, Handtmann is sure that the 

foundation also guarantees that the values 

of the Handtmann family will continue 

to be implemented in the works 

for the foreseeable future. Because a society 

– whether a company, a family or 

a country – cannot exist without the application 

of values. Arthur Handtmann, 

anyway, will continue to live out his values 

every day – for which he stands as 

both an entrepreneur and a man – and 

apply them for the good of the Handtmann 

Group. Full-time, of course. 

www.handtmann.de 


K NEWS 

KSPG AG 

Pierburg plant awarded DGNB 

certification in gold 

Following the completed move into 

its newest plant, Lower Rhine, located 

on Harbor Pier 1 in Neuss, Germany, 

auto-industry supplier Pierburg 

has meanwhile been awarded the certification 

aspired to for its new building 

complex. The German Sustainable 

Building Council (DGNB) awarded the 

Pierburg location its certificate in gold. 

This means that the Lower Rhine plant 

is very likely to be the first industrial facility 

with a foundry to have received 

this coveted award in recent times. Pierburg 

belongs to the global first-tier supplier 

to the automotive industry KSPG. 

Right from the start of this 50 million 

euro construction project, the company 

had attached great importance to sustainability. 

As a specialist in emission 

and fuel-consumption reduction in cars 

and commercial vehicles, Pierburg sees 

itself committed to strict sustainability 

criteria at its production plants, too. 

Employee amenities also play a role, 

such as having available a sufficient 

number of bicycle racks or providing 

parking spa ces reserved for women. 

It all started with the fact of the new 

facility itself and the associated land 

recultivation, given that the company 

was able to build its new plant on disused 

industrial wasteland that is also 

Pierburg location is the first industrial facility with a foundry to have received 

the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB) Award (Photo: Pierburg). 

very conveniently situated and, with its 

easy accessibility by public transport or 

bicycle, again scores ecologically. 

Another important aspect at this early 

stage was flexibility in the reutilization 

and expansion of the site, eased by a 

number of factors such as the largely 

column-free shop floors as well as statically 

and technically, by office areas allowing 

potential extensions and variable 

layout. Added to this was the 

exclusive use of eco-friendly materials 

approved by construction ecologists. 

Given the integrated foundry, high 

priority was assigned to improved air 

pollution control as shown in the extensive 

clean air and immission protection 

measures. In fact, Pierburg’s relevant 

measurements are even lower than the 

limits specified in the German Technical 

Guidelines on Clean Air (TA Luft). 

The building in its entirety scores 

more than 25 % better than the energy-conservation 

benchmarks for new 

buildings. Besides the countless additional 

measures, efficient heat recovery 

in the pneumatic air system and in the 

waste heat from the foundry’s smelting 

furnaces plays a major role in achieving 

the commendable bottom-line results. 

www.kspg.com/en/brands/pierburg 

MANNESMANN DEMAG 

Chisel hammer from Mannesmann Demag (Photo: MD) 

Chisel hammers with quickchange 

chuck 

The well-known air hammers from 

Mannesmann Demag (MD), Stuttgart, 

Germany, are used for fettling castings 

in foundries. Now there is a FixFlex 

quick-change chuck for the MD chisel 

hammers. 

This new chuck makes chisel changing 

much faster than before. It is no 

longer necessary to disassemble the 

chisel retaining spring. Especially 

when working with broad chisels this 

chuck solves the problem: Finally the 

change of chisels is fast, safe and simple. 

Lower maintenance costs tell its 

own tale. A safe fixation with precise 

chisel guiding is ensured. The new 

quick-change chuck is available for the 

MD chisel hammers MD 200 and MD 

340 (2.0 kg, 3.4 kg respectively). 

www.mannesmann-demag.com/en 


EIRICH 

Comprehensive product 

portfolio 

Eirich, Hardheim, Germany, is a specialist 

supplier of machinery and equipment 

used in the preparation of claybound 

molding sand. Outstanding, 

reproducible sand quality, tailored solutions 

and high efficiency are good reasons 

why more than 1,500 Eirich sand 

preparation systems worldwide have 

been integrated into casting lines from 

all major manufacturers. Focus is on 

technical solutions to reveal new opportunities 

for optimized quality and 

cost-efficiency on new construction, 

retrofit and modernization projects at 

iron and non-ferrous metals foundries. 

For many years, eco-friendly technology 

developed by Eirich has been the 

best option available to foundries that 

are looking for top quality molding 

sand at an affordable cost. The mixing, 

cooling and bentonite activation steps 

all take place in a single machine. 

Preparation under vacuum prevents 

ambient climatic conditions from having 

any effect on the molding sand. The 

sand has uniform quality and the temperature 

of the prepared sand remains 

constant. This technology is now used 

around the world. More than 60 “vacuum 

mixers” have been installed. Depending 

on size, the systems have a 

throughput rate of 6 - 300 m³/h. The 

mixing, cooling and activation process 

takes 70 s. The residual moisture of the 

return sand is less than 0.5 % and the 

sand is cooled under precision control 

to 40 °C. Besides the best possible bentonite 

activation without prior ageing, 

there are other advantages as well. Consumption 

of bentonite and auxiliary 

materials can be reduced. Elimination 

of the sand cooler and other subsystems 

cuts dust extraction air volumes nearly 

in half. Fines remain in the molding 

sand and do not have to be captured 

and disposed of as filter dust at considerable 

expense. Entrained fines are deposited 

in a condenser and the condensate 

is cycled back to the preparation 

process via the water scale. 

The company has developed a comprehensive 

set of modular control solutions 

designed to safeguard quality and 

increase productivity. The spectrum 

ranges from entry-level versions to 

preventive molding sand management 

featuring a model catalogue, formulation 

calculation and additive calculation 

functions which work from a 

set of model-based parameters. Those 

control systems offer proactive management 

and control of molding sand 

properties, particularly in combination 

with the QualiMaster AT1 online 

sand tester (used to determine the 

compactability and shear strength 

control parameters), SandReport software 

(continuous acquisition, analysis 

and archiving of production data) and 

SandExpert (additional calculation of 

all model-based formulations using 

production plans). Teleservice (remote 

monitoring), Condition Monitoring 

(online diagnostics) and IMD (Intelligent 

Material Distribution) modules 

are also available. Using the appropriate 

data interfaces, all production and 

system data can be transferred to higher-level 

production data acquisition 

systems for further processing. 

Eirich sand preparation systems installed 

as complete or partial solutions 

are highly versatile and can be adapted 

to different molding technologies and 

sand parameters. They supply sand to 

molding lines made by all manufacturers. 

The portfolio includes material 

handling, pre-treatment, return sand 

storage, sand preparation and transfer 

to the molding line. The company can 

supply individual machines or turnkey 

sand preparation solutions. 

www.eirich.de 

CD-ADAPCO 

Star-Cast with new high pressure 

die casting module 

CD-adapco, Melville, USA, a global provider 

of multidisciplinary engineering 

simulation and design exploration software, 

announced the availability of Star- 

Cast v11.02, the casting simulation addon 

for Star-CCM+. 

Star-Cast features a new high pressure 

die casting module, providing casting 

engineers with an accurate and 

user-friendly tool for designing stronger, 

lighter and higher quality casted 

parts. High pressure die casting is a fast 

and inexpensive process for mass manufacturing 

of precision components, resulting 

in high dimensional accuracy 

and requiring minimal machining. 

However, defects such as gas inclusions 

and misruns are hard to control and remain 

a challenge. This process has traditionally 

also been difficult to simulate 

due to the complexity of the physical 

processes including multiphase flows 

consisting of both melt and gas. 

Star-Cast is a casting dedicated 

si mu la tion software resulting from a 

strong partnership between Access 

e.V., Aachen, Germany, and CD-adapco. 

Draw ing on CD- adapco’s expertise in 

thermal-fluid simulation and Access’ 

experience in casting and metallurgy, 

Star-Cast integrates industry-leading 

CAE technology with the detailed models 

required for casting, enabling highly 

accurate simulation of interactions between 

molten metal and air. By resolving 

all the physics at once, engineers 

can now get a better understanding of 

the complete high pressure die casting 

process using Star-Cast v11.02 and discover 

better designs, faster. 

Temperature distribution at the end 

of filling of a car’s subframe component 

(Photo: CD Adapco) 

STAR-Cast v11.02 incorporates enhancements 

that streamline simulation 

workflow and increase productivity for 

casting simulations. 

www.cd-adapco.com 


K NEWS 

VOXELJET 

World’s largest 3-D printing 

system goes into operation in 

the USA 

Voxeljet, Friedberg, Germany, increases 

its presence in the US growth market 

with the start-up of the largest 3-D 

printing system in Michigan. With the 

VX4000 3-D printer, one of the leading 

providers of large-format 3-D printers 

and on-demand parts services underlines 

its important position in the 

US market. This benefits in particular 

the US foundry industry, which is a 

direct consumer of these services. For 

example, 3-D printers can be used to 

manufacture large rotors and turbines 

– and usually much more quickly and 

cost-effectively than using traditional 

methods. 

No other 3-D printing system for 

sand molds offers larger continuous 

build volumes. At 4000 x 2000 x 1000 

mm (L x W x H), the build space more 

or less corresponds to the size of a VW 

Golf car. David Tait, Managing Director 

of voxeljet America, commented 

the expanded capacities of the voxeljet 

equipment fleet and range of services 

in the US as follows: “The market for 

cast parts in the US has always focused 

The VX4000, the largest industrial 3-D printing system for sand molds, is commissioned 

in the US (Photo: Voxeljet) 

on size. With the VX4000, we not only 

produce the largest sand molds in the 

world, but can also combine these with 

smaller mold components. The resulting 

flexibility provides for rapid delivery 

times and cost-efficient production.” 

The VX4000 is very fast and easy to 

operate. In addition to ensuring 

cost-effective production processes for 

very large individual molds, this huge 

3-D printer can also be used to produce 

small series parts or a combination of 

the two. In addition, it also prints stable 

side walls, which means that the 

size of the build space can be adjusted 

as needed. No other comparable system 

is able to adjust the build speed to 

the build volume in such a way. 

Another feature: The layer building 

method has been especially adapted 

for this printer. Therefore the building 

platform is not lowered during the 

printing process, but rather the print 

head is raised with each layer. The machine 

thus easily supports the heavy 

weight of the building platform, which 

can also be quickly replaced via a rail. 

This allows for virtually permanent 

printing. 

The molds are created with the layer-wise 

application of the particle material 

quartz sand, which is glued together 

with a binding agent. After the 

printing process is complete, the mold 

only has to be unpacked, i.e. cleaned of 

excess sand. Since sand molds are created 

directly from CAD data, they set 

the trend in terms of richness of detail 

and precision. 

Although voxeljet has specialized in 

additive manufacturing for the foundry 

industry, in general every company 

that uses casting processes – hence designs, 

processes, uses or optimizes cast 

parts – can benefit from voxeljet’s technology. 

With the decision to introduce the 

VX4000 in the United States, voxeljet 

completes its service range for the 

on-demand 3-D printing of large sand 

molds in this market. “We decided to 

place our largest printing system in 

the US in order to service growing demand 

in the US market directly on location. 

Our objective is to strengthen 

our most important growth market 

with a diversified portfolio of machines, 

materials and processes,” is 

how Rudolf Franz, COO of voxeljet 

AG, describes the great potential of 

the US market. Indirect beneficiaries of 

this high-end technology are the automotive 

industry, the special machine 

building sector and the spare 

parts industry in particular. 

www.voxeljet.de 


IFR-SURVEY 

1.3 million industrial robots to 

enter service by 2018 

The automation of the fourth industrial 

revolution is accelerating: By 2018, 

around 1.3 million industrial robots 

will be entering service in factories 

around the world. In the high-revenue 

automotive sector, global investments 

in industrial robots increased by a record-breaking 

43 % (2013-2014) within 

one year. Viewed on a cross-sector basis, 

the international market value for robotic 

systems now lies at around 32 billion 

US dollars. So says the 2015 World 

Robot Statistics, issued by the International 

Federation of Robotics (IFR), 

Frankfurt, Germany. 

The robotic density figure is a key 

performance indicator for gauging the 

current degree of automation within 

the international markets: For example, 

the average global robotic density 

in producing industries lies at 66 robot 

units per 10,000 employees. A total 

of 21 countries have an above-average 

robotic density. More than 

one-half of these highly automated 

countries are located in the European 

Union (14 countries). Then there are 

three Asian economies (South Korea, 

Japan, Taiwan), as well as the USA and 

Canada. 

The current global leader in industrial 

robotic automation is South Korea. In 

this instance, the robotic density exceeds 

the global average by a good seven-fold 

(478 units), followed by Japan 

(314 units) and Germany (292 units). At 

164 units, the USA currently occupies 

seventh place in the world. 

At 36 units per 100,000 employees or 

about half the global average figure, 

China is currently in 28th place. Within 

the overall global statistics, this is 

roughly on a par with Portugal (42 

units), or Indonesia (39 units). However, 

about five years ago, China embarked 

on a historically unparalleled 

game of catch-up aimed at changing 

the status quo, and already today it is 

the world’s largest sales and growth 

market for industrial robots. 

Never before have so many robot 

units been sold in one year as were sold 

in China in 2014 (57,100 units). The 

boom is continuing unabated in line 

with the forecasts: In 2018, China will 

account for more than one-third of the 

industrial robots installed worldwide. 

“The robotic boom is laying down an 

important milestone in the realisation 

of the fourth industrial revolution”, 

says Joe Gemma, President of the International 

Federation of Robotics. “With 

their digital interfaces, industrial robots 

can be seamlessly integrated into the 

networked structures of smart factories. 

The international market value for 

robotic systems now lies at around 

32 billion US dollars (Photo: Andreas 

Bednareck) 

This is a benefit exploited by highly automated 

economies and by countries 

adopting a new industrial focus. Further 

impetus is coming into the form of 

the technological breakthrough in human-robot 

collaboration: Robotic workers 

will in future be found working 

hand-in-hand with human staff, helping 

to replace traditional, rigid production 

processes with flexible structures.” 

www.ifr.org 

DISA, FOMET, OTTO JUNKER 

An advanced foundry investment 

in the Ukraine 

Chervona Zirka, Metalyt Foundry in 

Kirovograd, Ukraine, has installed a 

new foundry for agricultural and hydraulic 

castings with equipment from 

Disa, Kopenhagen, Denmark, Fomet, 

Milano, Italy, and Otto Junker, Simmerath, 

Germany. The city of Kirovograd 

is known for its industry in agricultural 

machinery and hydraulic 

machines from the company Chervona 

Zirka. The foundry tradition had already 

started in 1874, when the Bri tish 

brothers Robert and Thomas Elvorti began 

their business based on an existing 

German foundry. From 1922, the enterprise 

developed into one of the biggest 

producers of agricultural machines in 

the former USSR as “Red Star”. Now the 

company Chervona Zirka is the leading 

manufacturer in the Ukraine and 

the Commonwealth of Independent 

States (CIS). The Metalyt foundry is 

their own casting supplier. The company 

managers had been thinking about 

a new foundry since 2006. Their main 

target was the requirement in quality 

castings to strengthen their leading 

position in the CIS Countries. The decision 

was to invest in a new own foundry 

with state of the art equipment. Almost 

all approved European suppliers 

were part of the considerations until 

the investors board decided to engage 

the Danish Disa as prime contractor, 

Fomet and Otto Ju nker. 

Despite political and economical 

challenges they followed up the agreed 

investment in total of approx. 12 million 

euro. Disa was the company which 

guaranteed the turnkey factory together 

with the Italian supplier for automatic 

pouring Fomet and the German Otto 

Junker for melting. The Ukrainian management 

follows the Kaizen approach 

and this was implemented in the installations. 

Video on the 

Metalyd-Foundry, 

realized with 

state-of-the-art 

equipment 

http://bit. 

ly/1VI36GW 


K BROCHURES 

Foundry technology 

48 pages, English, German 

A comprehensive brochure describing the expertise of and products offered by 

foundry technology provider Fill. Fields of activities include aluminium casting, iron 

casting, core manipulation, premachining, decoring, cooling, testing as well as process 

engineering and simulation. 

Information: www.fill.co.at 

Foundry and power plant equipment 

40 pages, English, German 

This brochure provides an overview of the equipment provided by conveying plant 

specialists FAT Förder- und Anlagentechnik for foundries and other industrial plants. 

For foundries, the company supplies continuous mixers, moulding lines, equipment 

for mechanical and thermal reclamation, pneumatic conveying as well as process 

control and data collection solutions. 

Information: www.f-a-t.de 

Metals analyzer 

4 pages, English 

A product brochure featuring the Q6 Columbus spark spectrometer by Bruker- 

Quantron. The brochure provides technical specifications of the system and gives an 

overview of the range of applications and the system’s benefits including efficiency 

aspects. 

Information: www.bruker-elemental.com 

Casting coolers 


This product brochure provides key data of the VCC-type casting coolers offered by 

JML. The machines are designed in lengths between 10 and 40 meters and widths 

between one and 2.6 meters. The coolers provide mild cooling in the upper temperature 

range preventing defects due to structural changes and stress cracking. 

Information: www.jml-industrie.com 


Melting technology 


A brochure presenting melting technology provided by Marx. Comprehensive descriptions, 

technical data and illustrations are provided of channel furnace plants, 

crucible furnace plants and furnace plants of specially compact design. Also aspects 

like power supply, service and maintenance are covered. 

Information: www.marx-gmbh.eu 

Sand regeneration 


This brochure describes plants and processes offered by Webac for the recovery and 

reclamation of foundry sand. The company supplies individual regeneration plant 

components as well as self-contained systems for thermic and mechanical sand regeneration, 

such as the jet reclaimer working on the principle of air jet friction. 

Information: www.webac-gmbh.de 

Water-cooled high-current cables 


A product information brochure on the range of water-cooled high-current cables 

offered by Druseidt Elektrotechnik for electric arc and ladle furnaces. Numerous 

construction details are provided, including cable heads with rotating joints, the 

Druseidt crimp technology, solderless pressed cable heads as well as special cable 

designs. 

Information: www.druseidt.de 

Filter products 


A brochure presenting the filter products offered by SQ Group. Application, features, 

storage and shelf life as well as specifications are set out for each product, for 

example, zirconia foam ceramic filters, black foam ceramic filters, integrated filter 

sections, pressed ceramic filters, filter cloth and ceramic pouring systems. 

Information: www.shengquan.com 


K INTERNATIONAL FAIRS AND CONGRESSES 

Fairs and Congresses 

Aluminium China 2016 

July, 12-14, 2016, Shanghai, China 

http://bit.ly/25K3gUC 

China Die Casting 2016 

July, 12-14, 2016, Shanghai, China 

www.diecastexpo.cn 

Middle East Foundry Summit 2016 

July, 20-21, 2016, Dubai, United Arab Emirates 

http://metalworld.co.in/mefs16/flyer.html 

Metal 2016 

September, 20-22, 2016, Kielce, Poland 

www.targikielce.pl 

International Foundry Forum 2016 

September, 23-24, 2016, Dresden, Germany 

Contact: marion.harris@bdguss.de 

Ankiros 2016 

September/October, 29-01, Istanbul, Turkey 

www.ankiros.com 

56th International Foundry Conference 2016 

September, 14-16, Portoroz, Slowenia 

www.drustvo-livarjev.si 

Advertisers‘ Index 

Hannover-Messe ANKIROS FUARCILIK A. S. 48 

atm Gesellschaft für aktives technisches 

Marketing GmbH 7 

Bühler AG Uzwil 2 

GTP Schäfer GmbH 27 

Jasper Ges. für Energiewirtschaft & 

Kybernetik mbH 11 

Regloplas AG 25 

VELCO GmbH 33 


K IMPRINT 

PREVIEW / IMPRINT K 

Preview of the next issue 

Publication date: September 2016 

KSM Castings has invested 13 million euros to manufacture magnesium components at the location in Hildesheim, Germany 

(Photo: Andreas Bednareck). 

Selection of topics: 

R. Piterek: Shaping the future with die casting technology 

The KSM Castings Group with plants in Europe, the US and China strengthens its competitive position as an automotive supplier 

with a major investment of 13 million euros in the value creation of magnesium components at the location in Hildesheim, 

Germany. The foundry group reorganized in recent years – and consistently invested in modern lightweight construction with a 

global reach 

M. Görke u. a.: Influence of particle size distribution on molding material parameters 

The optimum utilization and processing of raw materials plays an important role in the efficient production of castings. The benefits 

of optimized grading curves with respect to the factors influencing the gas permeability are presented in this article 

M. Weil: The longest ductile iron casting comes from Krefeld 

23,5 meters was the intended length of a crossbar for a two-column machining center that customer Tos Kurim from Brno, 

Czech Republic, wanted to order. The Siempelkamp Foundry in Krefeld won the contract for the longest ductile iron casting 

of the world 

Imprint 

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Ger man Foundry As so ci a tion 

Ed i tor in Chief : 

Michael Franken M.A. 

Ed i tor: 

Robert Piterek M.A. 

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ISSN 0935-7262

CPT International 02/2016

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